Ningen
by sangchi
Summary: He wouldn't consider her a notable figure from his past. He could count on one hand the number of times they crossed paths. So why then does Kakashi find himself fixated on a woman who seems to keep turning up unexpectedly in his life? Fate has a funny sense of humor like that.
1. A Reluctant Man

"Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility." ― Sigmund Freud

* * *

Tsunade was livid. As much as she tried to maintain her composure, Shizune could easily tell how one wrong word or phrase could set off closest, and most dearest companion. Currently, the Fifth Hokage was pressing her lips against laced fingers, elbows propped up on the desk as an eyebrow twitched. Tonton made a noise and shifted uncomfortably in Shizune's arms. The tension was so palpable it felt suffocating, especially to the jounin on the receiving end of Tsunade's hateful glare.

"Kakashi... You can't seriously be asking me of this right now," Tsunade managed to get out in an even voice. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her mental grip on trying to remain calm tightening ever-so-slightly.

"I know, Lady Tsunade, that this is not the news that you wanted to hear, but it's the truth," Kakashi replied, keeping in mind to be careful with his words. His own personal distaste for responsibility aside, Kakashi knew that he was not entirely ready for the responsibilities of being Hokage yet.

"You want me to stay in office for another three months," Tsunade growled, eyebrow twitched even more. She was ready to pass down the mantle, ready to retire and drink her days away while trying to get lucky in a game of pachinko. "We have finally reached the ultimate peace between not only the other Hidden Villages, but as well as minor shinobi countries. And even the samurai!"

Shizune tried to intervene, seeing Tsunade becoming more worked up. "Lady Tsunade, please... Try to remain calm..."

"How can I?!" she barked, slapping her hands down on the desk. Kakashi could have sworn he heard the table crack. That was a noise you never wanted to hear... She was about to fall into a tirade before the door to the Hokage's office opened. A chunin nervously poked his head in.

"Is this is bad time?" Izumo asked timidly. Tsunade sighed and slumped into her chair, whereas Shizune and Kakashi were greatly relieved at the intervention, giving each other a knowing look that seemed to say, 'Thank heaven.'

"No, no," Tsunade said a little dejectedly. She waved her hand, "Come in." Opening the door wider, Izumo walked into the office, clutching a scroll in his hand. "Mission report?"

"Yes," the chunin nodded. "However, we may want to keep a close eye on this. There's been some suspicious activity along the border near Grass Country." While Izumo spoke, Tsunade unfurled the scroll and skimmed through its contents. Another murdered abbot? Strange. This was the fourth monastery to be targeted. "Also, My Lady, the ambassador from Iwagakure is here, should you want to speak with her."

"Oh," Tsunade actually looked surprised, her anger starting to thin. She wasn't expecting the ambassador for another day. While the punctuality was appreciated, Tsunade would have preferred that they arrived on their scheduled time. "That's fine. Please, send her in." Izumo nodded and gave a quick bow before stepping out halfway into the hallway, ushering for the Iwa ambassador to come in.

Kakashi turned to Tsunade, wondering if he should take this opportunity to slip out and prepare for the next mission to delay his appointment as Hokage. For a second, Tsunade did consider sending Kakashi away, but she wasn't done yelling at him yet, and she needed to get out the rest of her anger. She shot him a glare that Kakashi took as to 'stay where he stood.' Inwardly he groaned, just wanting to leave and re-read his favorite Icha Icha book.

"Lady Tsunade," a silvery voice called. Izumo stepped aside, giving room for the ambassador to enter the office. Kakashi was surprised, pleasantly so, as to who the Iwa ambassador was. Izumo left, softly closing the door behind him. She gave a deep, polite bow, smiling warmly. "It is an honor to see you again."

"I must say, we weren't expecting you for another day, Matsuno-san," Tsunade replied, her demeanor changing to a more friendly tone. "We still haven't finished setting up the ambassadors' offices yet, I'm afraid."

Haruna Matsuno, (former) second-in-command to Kitsuchi of the Second Division during the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, stood at full height and gave a slight sheepish smile. "Yes, well... I tend to walk fast."

As the two continued talking, Kakashi couldn't help but stare at Haruna. While he wasn't expecting anyone in particular to be Iwa's ambassador to Konoha, it was still a surprise to see her standing in front of him. It seemed as if fate kept wanting their paths to cross, despite his thinking that they would never see each other again. He would have chuckled at the irony, would it not seem strange at this moment.

"I'm sure you remember Hatake Kakashi," Tsunade gestured to the silver-haired shinobi.

"Yes, ma'am. We tend to keep meeting, it seems." Haruna bowed at Kakashi. "Nice to see you again, Hatake-san. This is... what? The sixth time our paths have crossed?"

"This would be the fifth time, by my count," Kakashi replied, hands tucked lazily into his pockets, but underneath the mask was a visible smile. Haruna chuckled as she straightened her posture, tilting her head to the side in consideration. That sounded about right.

"You two already knew each other? Before the war?" Shizune asked, confusion plain on her face. Even Tsunade looked taken aback.

Haruna nodded and gave a quick shrug, "When you work in ANBU, it tends to be a small world. But we can discuss that all later. Lady Tsunade," Haruna paused and looked the Hokage head on. "I would like to discuss some of the travel measures to protect citizens, as proposed by the Tsuchikage."

"Wasting no time, I see," Tsunade sighed.

Haruna smiled apologetically, "The Tsuchikage is very eager about the new ambassador program between the Great Shinobi Countries, so he wants to get things underway as soon as possible."

"It's fine, I understand. But at least take some time to get settled in, at least."

"Fair enough, Lady Hokage." And to be fair, having a chance to rest and get settled in did sound nice to Haruna. And even if the offices weren't ready, Haruna did want to see where she would be working.

"Shizune, would you please show the Lady Ambassador to a spare office or room she can use for the time being?" Shizune obediently nodded, giving a quick bow.

"Yes, my lady," she turned to Haruna, looking polite and cheerful. "This way please!" Using one arm to keep Tonton balanced in her arm, Shizune opened the door for Haruna, to which the woman gave thanks.

Haruna gave another bow before exiting, "Thank you, once again." Tsunade smiled and nodded her head politely, and Kakashi also nodded his head in acknowledgement. Haruna's dark green eyes, for a brief moment, meet Kakashi's gaze. A knowing look passed between them before Shizune ushered the woman to her temporary working quarters.

As soon as the door closed, Tsunade shot Kakashi a death glare, to which the famous copy-nin visibly flinched and prepared himself for the verbal barrage Tsunade was preparing to assault him with.

"Now," Tsunade growled, "where was I?"

 _I am so dead_ , Kakashi thought grimly.

* * *

Haruna's first impression of Konoha was that it was very… _colorful_. Compared to the stone carved buildings of Iwa, Konoha seemed a bit more livelier (whatever that could mean). When she checked-in at the gate, Haruna was half expecting to be cursed at. It's not as if old grudges and ill feelings can disappear so quickly.

But, to her relief, she was given a slightly warm - if anything, polite - welcome. One of the chunin at the gate had offered to have someone escort Haruna to the Hokage's office, but Haruna easily found the building sticking well above the skyline. The huge emblem that had the symbol for 'fire' was a dead giveaway. While she had made a few wrong turns here and there, she eventually found her way to the offices.

During her little wandering misadventure, Haruna did come across a ramen place that smelled heavenly, and she made a mental note to stop there for dinner. She was also amazed at how quickly the village seemed to had been recovering, despite being mowed to the ground by the Akatsuki weeks earlier. There was a strong resolve amongst the villages that Haruna quickly grew a fondness for.

Another thing that was a major culture shock for Haruna were the people. Everyone seemed to be a bit more friendlier. Maybe it was because the weather was nicer, but Haruna was genuinely surprised to see so many people cheerfully interacting with one another. Compared to Iwa, everyone was a bit more stone-faced and the sense of community wasn't as strong as it seemed to be in Konoha. Not to say that it didn't exist at all in Iwa, just that it was to a slightly lesser extent.

 _Hopefully_ , Haruna thought, _it won't take me that long to adjust_.

"So," Shizune started as they continued to casually walk down the curved hallway. "How as your trip to the Land of Fire?"

"Oink, oink!" Tonton added, also curious about the new visitor. She didn't sense any hostility from Haruna, which certainly helped.

Haruna chuckled and was tempted to give Tonton a little pat on the head, but refrained from doing so. She was still a stranger, and animals were often weary of strangers. Haruna still smiled at Tonton, which the little pig seemed to be okay with.

"It was surprisingly pleasant," Haruna started, "a surprising lack of thieves on the roads, though that's probably due to some of the disorder that's still around from the war." _Not to mention all the refugees_ , Haruna added in her mind.

"That would make sense," Shizune sighed, wishing that the recovery and reconstruction efforts would go by faster. But, sadly, they didn't live in a perfect world. An awkward silence started to seep in the conversation. Shizune quickly thought of another topic of conversation.

"You were Kitsuchi's second-in-command during the war, correct?" It seemed an innocent enough question, and her medical file was one Shizune memorized in case of an emergency.

"Yes ma'am. Indeed I was."

"How is he doing? Well, I hope."

"He is still recovering from some of the injuries he sustained in the fighting, but last I saw he was doing alright. Recovering nicely, as the doctors put it."

"That's good to hear!" Shizune beamed. "Does he know you're in Konoha now, as Iwa's ambassador?"

"Funny you should mention that," Haruna sheepishly scratched the back of neck. "He was the one who suggested me for the position." Shizune stopped mid-step and turned to face Haruna dead on, her dark eyes wide with surprise.

"Seriously?"

Haruna nodded, "Apparently, he and the Tsuchikage were talking it over about who would be ambassador to which village. Lord Third thought to make Kitsuchi the envoy to Konoha. What, with there being a certain camaraderie between the other division captains." Shizune nodded and the pair started walking again.

"Mind you I wasn't hear for this, but Kitsuchi supposedly told Lord Third to send me instead," Haruna continued. "'If anyone can show those Leaf ninja a thing or two, it's Haru.'" For dramatic effect, Haruna lowered her voice as much as she could, trying to sound like a man. It was a poor imitation, but it got the point across, and both women laughed with Tonton snorting happily.

"In any case, I was offered the position and I was hesitant at first. But my friends convinced me to take the position and so… here I am!"

Shizune laughed, "Well, from what I heard, you are quiet the capable kunoichi, Matsuno-san."

Despite her brown skin, a pink blush was visible on Haruna's cheeks. She smiled, "I appreciate that, but my abilities were probably over-praised. I'm certainly no better than the next kunoichi."

 _How humble_ , Shizune thought appreciatively. She always liked that trait in people. They stopped walking and she gestured to the door they had stopped at.

"This is the only open office space for now, till yours and the other ambassador's offices are done being setup. It can get a little noisy as it faces the Academy, but I'm sure you will block out the noise soon enough."

Haruna opened the door and stepped inside. The opposite wall had a large window that let in plenty of sunlight, and three desks were situated inside. One was placed near the window, while the other two faced each other, perpendicular to the desk beneath the window. Shelves were carved into the walls to hold important paperwork and another other necessary office supplies.

It was also recently cleaned, too, judging by how polished the desks and floor looked. It was also a very spacious area, as if designed to accommodate other workers. Haruna stepped further into the office and looked out the window. It was a straight shot view of the athletic field just outside the Academy. The students were practicing their taijutsu and fought in one-on-one spars with one of the teachers overseeing the duals.

"This will do very nicely!" Haruna was practically buzzing with excitement about this new opportunity. "Which desk is mine?"

"Whichever one you like," Shizune responded, feeling giddy from Haruna's visible excitement. "Since you're the first ambassador to arrive, you can chose where you would like to sit. The other two ambassadors will be in the office across the hall from yours."

While Shizune spoke, Haruna made her way to the desk on the left hand side of the room, the one that had a slightly better view outside.

"Who will I be sharing this office with?" Haruna asked. "For the time being, anyway."

"I'm not entirely sure. The plan is to have each ambassador have their own office at some point, but those rooms are still being renovated, like Lady Tsunade mentioned earlier." Haruna nodded understandingly and started unpacking some of the necessary office supplies she thought she would have needed.

"So it's like a first come, first serve sort of deal?"

Shizune nodded, "For now, yes. But please make yourself comfortable in the meantime!" She eyed Haruna's belongings curiously. "I certainly hoped you packed more than that while you're staying here, Matsuno-san."

"Hmm?" Haruna paused as she tried to arrange her desk, looking up at Shizune from her seat behind the desk. "Oh! I sent a few of my belongings ahead of me since I couldn't carry everything in one go. I was told I would be assigned living quarters?"

Shizune felt foolish for making that statement earlier. That was one of the first things Lady Tsunade had talked about with the other Kage when setting up the ambassador program! She kept her composure, but her expression looked as if a light went off in her head.

"Of course! Yes, yes! I will see about that right away! Please, excuse me," Shizune bowed and jogged out of the office before Haruna could say anything.

The Iwa ambassador snorted quietly and continued unpacking other various supplies, claiming a nearby bookshelf to place a few expel scrolls she had brought with her.

 _Yes_ , Haruna thought, _these people are a little strange_. But in a good way.

* * *

Kakashi sighed for the umpteenth time, leaning his head back and looking longingly at the lights above him. After Tsunade's verbal bashing, Kakashi had been in dire need of something to comfort him. It was dinner time, and he had considered going to a bar to throw back a few glasses of sake. But the idea of dealing with a hangover, no matter how minor, didn't seem all too appealing.

Kakashi was many things, but a drinker he rarely was.

So, he opted for a slightly safer option, and headed to Ichiraku Ramen, a reliable joint where the food always made him feel a little better. Teuchi had asked Kakashi if there were anything wrong, as the jounin mostly picked at his food. The latter had managed to convince the Teuchi that nothing was the matter before taking generous, fast bites when Teuchi's back was turned.

The only thing that remained in the bowl was the broth, and Kakashi still sat on his stool, humming and sighing thoughtfully. Teuchi had stepped in the back to take inventory, which Kakashi was grateful for, as it gave him time to think things over.

Tsunade had been harsh in her assessment as to why he was hesitating on becoming Hokage. And, if Kakashi were being honest with himself, there was some truth in what she had yelled at him. There was certainly something holding him; a sort of mental block. What that block was, neither Tsunade or Kakashi could say.

"But you had better get over that block soon, Kakashi," Tsunade had said with a stern look. "I plan on retiring before summer."

"That's easier said than done," Kakashi sighed to himself, closing his eyes and tilting his head down in defeat. It was rare for him to have any sort of block. So what was the cause, and what would be the cure?

"Pardon me," a bright voice called out. Teuchi leaned back to see who had walked in to his establishment. He smiled and nodded at the customer.

"Welcome! Please sit down, I will be with you shortly!"

Kakashi had instantly recognized the voice, and thus didn't feel to look as to see who it was. He did, however, peek one of his eyes open and watched Haruna take a seat two stools away from him.

She smiled at him, her dark green eyes looking warm and welcoming, "Hello again, Hatake-san."

"This officially makes it six times now," Kakashi replied, still keeping his gaze forward. Haruna gave a soft laugh and nodded. She turned her head to the menu, debating between the miso char siu ramen, and the chicken ramen with mushrooms and boiled eggs.

"The miso char siu ramen is the best one," Kakashi said as he pulled his mask up, having now finished his bowl when she wasn't looking. "In case you were having trouble deciding."

Haruna looked between him and the bowl, wondering when he had finished eating and how he did it so quickly. She appreciated the suggestion, however, and smiled graciously.

"Well, since that's coming from a local, that certainly carries a little more weight. Perhaps I'll get a bowl of that and try the chicken next time." _It's not like this place is gonna go anywhere_ , Haruna added in her head.

"Sorry for the wait, ma'am," Teuchi walked in as he wiped his hands on his apron. He blinked a few times when he noticed the standard Iwa uniform Haruna wore, but quickly found himself getting over it. It seemed more and more ninja from all over were stopping by these days.

"It's no trouble," Haruna said reassuringly. She placed in her order, which Teuchi repeated to his daughter Ayame, who then quickly got started on boiling the noodles. Haruna noticed that Kakashi was still sitting to her right, looking deeply into his empty bowl, utterly lost in thought. She scooted one stool over.

"Looking for a lost civilization in the chives?" Haruna asked. Kakashi blinked as he came back to reality and turned his head to look at Haruna. "I don't think you'll find anything worthwhile in there." She tapped the rim of the bowl with her knuckle.

Kakashi scoffed, which sounded more like a laugh than anything. "No, probably not." He had been debating internally as to what was holding him back from stepping up to the mantle of Hokage, and he still hadn't come to any conclusions. Not that he had expected to, but it was still frustrating nonetheless.

"Have you settled in alright?" he asked, trying to make light conversation. Kakashi figured that they would be seeing each other more often now, so he thought it best to be polite.

"So far, yes," Haruna thanked Teuchi when he handed her the steaming bowl of ramen. She grabbed a pair of chopsticks, "Only issue, really, is making the apartment I've been leased a little more homier. Thank you for the meal!" Haruna split the chopsticks apart and took a large bite.

She couldn't help but let out an audible, satisfied moan, to which Kakashi gawked in response. Haruna didn't look the least bit embarrassed, and continued eating happily.

"This is the most amazing ramen I've ever had!" Haruna could practically cry at how the flavors blended together so well. Her inner foodie was already crying tears of joy. Teuchi smiled proudly and turned to Ayame.

"Perhaps we should go international," he suggested with a laugh. Ayame merely rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"You seem to enjoy your food a lot," Kakashi said flatly. Haruna had only been served less than a minute ago, and already the bowl was practically licked clean. With an appetite like that, he was briefly reminded of Naruto.

"And why not? Food is one of the best things about life," Haruna smirked after giving thanks for the meal. "It makes you feel better, no matter what you're feeling."

"Spoken like a true poet," Teuchi chimed. Haruna laughed and took out her wallet to place a few bills to pay for her dinner. There was a pattern on the leather that Kakashi didn't recognize, something geometric and tribal looking. It made his curiosity start to bubble.

"I don't know about poet," Haruna started as she left some money on the counter, "but I am certainly passionate about food, regardless. But, I can sleep happily now." Haruna stood and lifted one of the cloth dividers so she begin walking home.

"I will see you around, Hatake-san," Haruna smiled politely at him. "Good night!" As soon as she was out of earshot, Kakashi paid for his own meal and began walking to his apartment, already lost in his own thoughts.

"They sure do make them pretty up north," Teuchi said under his breath.

* * *

 **Somewhere in Grass Country**

A tall, cloaked figure tapped on the table impatiently, eyes scanning over the bar for the fifth time. He had tried his best to blend in, but with only having one arm, people tended to stare at him anyway. It was well pass their rendezvous time, and anxiety was starting to get the better of them. But, seemingly out of nowhere, their contact finally showed up and sat across from them in the booth.

"Do you have it?"

"Yes, but it wasn't easy to get. The monks I had to go up against didn't want to go down without a fight," the stranger pulled out a scroll from his sleeved and handed it to the figure who had been waiting impatiently up until this point. It was an ancient scroll, written in an archaic language and on strips of dried bamboo that were tied together. That didn't seem to deter the one armed man's excitement.

"There's still one more, though," he added. His contact looked at him grimly.

"No… no way, man. You said you just needed this one and that was it…"

"Circumstances have changed," the one armed man replied.

"Since fucking when?" the contact hissed. "Deal was for a scroll, not _scrolls_."

The one armed man sighed, sensing that his contact would not budge on doing one more job. Just like all the other ones.

"Then you have no more use for me."

With movements so quick to the untrained eye, it looked as if the man who had just sat down merely rested his head on the table to get some sleep. But, upon closer inspection, one could see the poison laced senbon sticking out of their chest. The one armed man stood up, pocketed the scroll, and headed towards the door, the bar still unassuming about the murder that had just taken place.

"So sorry we couldn't come to an understanding, my friend."

* * *

 **A/N:** Kinda boring, I know. But I wanted to establish Haruna a little bit and the setting/direction I'm trying to go here with this. Don't worry, it's not gonna be just an OC's adventures in Konoha where they fall in love with one of the main characters; that's barely scratching the surface of this fic. There's going to be political intrigue, murder, mystery, plenty of drama with a dash of slow-burning romance. Hopefully that will be enough to make you stick around and give this fic a shot (I know Naruto OC stories get a bad wrap, and admittedly, it is justified).


	2. Treachery Lurks

"We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend." ― Robert Louis Stevenson

* * *

 **800 kilometers northwest of Sunagakure**

The one armed man felt bead after bead of sweat dripping down his face. He loathed the sand and the heat, and he couldn't help but think, bitterly, how anyone could live in such accursed conditions. He felt a begrudging respect for the people who lived in Suna. He would rather lose his other arm than live in a hell hole such as this.

Nevertheless, he had a purpose here, and that helped to keep him focused as he fought against the sandstorm. Looking down at his compass, he was mildly relieved to see that he was still going the right way, considering his current traveling conditions. He was sure that at some point he had gotten lost in the sandstorm. Providence was surely smiling down on him, it seemed.

He kept walking against the howling sand, his head bowed down even though his hat gave enough protection.

"Damn this wind," he huffed, pulling the mask on his face tighter. It felt like breathing through a sponge, but at least it helped to keep some of the sand out of his face, and mouth.

Finally, after what felt like another hour of mindless trudging and constantly checking his compass that he was still going the right way, the wind began to dwindle and the one armed man was greeted to a clear, cloudless sky. Judging from the height of the sun, he guessed it was early afternoon. He smiled as he pulled down his mask.

"Still making good time." Catching his second wind of energy, the one armed man quickened his pace, almost jogging despite being a sweaty mess.

 _The monastery shouldn't be too far now_ , he smiled wickedly whilst pulling the mask back up.

* * *

Within two weeks of arriving at Konoha, Haruna had effectively settled in, and developed something resembling a routine; she was still trying to adjust to her new work conditions. The warmer weather and higher humidity made her constantly feel sticky and sluggish, so whenever she wasn't busy, Haruna was often taking a cool bath at her apartment.

And while Haruna couldn't help it, she genuinely enjoyed her work as an ambassador. Granted, she wasn't too overwhelmed yet with the paperwork and petitions. The only hectic part of Haruna's new job were the petitions of Iwa citizens looking to help rebuild Konoha. She assumed this was to build better relations between the two countries, especially since the war had brought everyone together. When Haruna had brought it up to Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage was impressed by the sentiment. The two women were still working out the kinks with the Tsuchikage, however.

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer, but most of the village's restoration efforts are two-thirds of the way done," Tsunade said, resting her chin in her palm. "I'm not really sure what the volunteers from Iwa could do, really."

Haruna nodded understandingly, "I had a feeling that that would be a concern. I noticed that village was practically finished in its rebuilding when I first arrived."

"Unless they want to help with the landscaping, we have enough domestic power when it comes to construction…" Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair, trying to think of some solution.

"What about some of the more engineering based projects?" Haruna offered after a minute of silence. She had also been lost in thought as to what would be a good compromise. "Are there enough teams for that?"

Tsunade's eyes widened, "That could actually work! Sure, we may have buildings already setup, but getting a pipe and plumbing system underway has been delaying the resettlement for several families. See if Onoki can send a team of engineers to help with that."

Haruna bowed and eagerly responded, "Yes, ma'am!" With that matter taken care of, their meeting was concluded and Haruna made her way back to her shared office. The other ambassadors that she shared the room with looked to be just as busy with their own work.

Ikue, the ambassador from Suna, looked up from a scroll she had been reading and chuckled at how bright Haruna's eyes were.

"You look like a satisfied puppy," Ikue teased. Haruna gave a sarcastic laugh in response, and sat down at her own desk. Ikue had taken the one that was in front of the window, so somedays it felt like Ikue was sitting in a supervisor's chair, overlooking the entire office.

"Your meeting went well, I take it?" the Suna ambassador added, going back to her reading.

"It did. Lady Tsunade and I managed to find a compromise about what the volunteers from Iwa could do when they get here." Haruna got her inkstone ready as she spoke, and grabbed a brush and blank scroll from a shelf behind her. Ikue made a noise of approval.

"That's always a plus, making progress," the Kumo ambassador, Kaname, chimed from his desk. He was responding to some sort of correspondence, but Haruna couldn't tell what exactly.

There was a swift rapping at the door before Shizune popped in, with Tonton in tow. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she started, taking a coupled steps further inside.

"Not at all, Shizune-san," Ikue said reassuringly. "Is there something you need?"

The medic nodded and turned to Kaname, "The Hokage will see you now. She only has a few minutes before she starts complaining about needing a break, so whatever you need to talk to her about, try to do it as fast as possible."

Kaname huffed as he rose from his seat, rubbing the back of his head. "Man… how annoying," he muttered as he followed Shizune out.

"Door open or closed?" Shizune asked. Before Ikue could ask for the door to be closed, Haruna promptly cut her off.

"Open, please," Haruna sounded as if she were begging. Which she partially was. "How could someone live in conditions like this all their life? I feel like a steamed vegetable in this humidity…"

Ikue was tempted to make a joke about the connection to Haruna's name and her feeling like a vegetable, but the Suna jounin decided against that. When Ikue had first met Haruna the other day, Ikue had made a passing remark about the meaning of Haruna's name.

"Doesn't that mean, like, 'spring vegetable' or something?" Ikue had asked innocently with a smirk, not knowing the fury she had almost ignited.

Haruna had shot her a dark glare and growled, "If you so much as call me 'Veggie', we'll both find ourselves in a messy international incident that neither country can deal with."

Ikue did not take that threat lightly, as she firmly believed that Haruna was one-hundred percent serious. She had audibly gulped, nodded, apologized, to which the war veteran smiled thankfully. Since then, the two women were starting to warm up to one another. Ikue had wanted to get to know the Iwa ambassador a little better, but there weren't many topics of conversation outside of work that Ikue could think of. There was the war, but the Suna nin assumed Haruna didn't want to talk about that.

Ikue hadn't participated in the war, as she was ordered to stay and guard the village. After learning that the Iwa ambassador was Haruna Matsuno, it felt like meeting a war hero, which the latter technically was, according to the daimyo. Supposedly Haruna was going to get a medal for her efforts. As were all the shinobi who had fought on the front lines, but that was just a rumor.

Ikue opened the window behind her desk to let in a nice breeze, but all Haruna could do was groan some more. The Suna nin frowned at the dark-haired woman, and placed her hands on her hips.

"If you hate the weather here, you would hate Sunagakure weather even more. It's a dry heat, so you feel like you're roasting in the summer."

Haruna grimaced as finished writing her letter to the Tsuchikage, "I honestly never thought I would miss the weather back home. Of all the things to miss, and it's metrology…"

"Homesickness is weird," Ikue laughed, but nearly fell out of her chair when a shuriken went flying into their office. It had almost nicked her on the cheek, and Ikue narrowed her eyes at the piece of metal that implanted itself onto the floor.

"Well," Haruna started, "that's just rude." Both women got up, but Haruna was the one who pulled the shuriken out from the floor. "One of the students at the Academy must've thrown this a little wide off the mark."

Ikue scoffed, "A little?" That was putting it mildly. She leaned out the window to see an entire class yelling sorry at the top of their lungs. Their teacher looked exasperated, with his arms laced against his chest. He also looked ready to faint from embarrassment. Haruna stood to Ikue's right, and lightly nudged the woman.

"At least their sorry," Haruna offered with a small smile. Ikue still looked unamused when she turned her head to look at Haruna.

"Miss, and… other miss," one of the children yelled at the top of his lungs, "can we have our shuriken back, please?"

Ikue looked at Haruna expectantly, thinking the latter would be the one to throw it back. Haruna shook her head and handed the shuriken to the Suna nin.

"All you. I have terrible aim, that's why I stick to swords." _And other close range weapons_ , Haruna added mentally. Ikue looked genuinely surprised as Haruna made her way back to her desk.

Noting that she would have to ask Haruna about that later, Ikue gave the shuriken a hard throw, and it landed right between one the kid's legs, causing him to squawk and fumble back into his other classmates. It created a domino effect as several other students fell down in succession.

"Careful of your aim next time!" Ikue yelled, the class then respectfully called back that they would. Sighing, Ikue closed the window, not wanting another shuriken to come flying at her again. She slumped in her chair, arms and legs crossed.

"Hey, Haruna, can we-"

"We're not switching desks."

"Dammnit!"

* * *

"Quick! Someone get some water!" the abbot shouted to one of his disciples. Two of the lower ranking monks scrambled to a nearby well and began pumping furiously as water sloshed into a wooden bucket.

The abbot, as well as a couple other monks, rushed out into the desert to pick up the man they had seen collapse less than a few meters away from the monastery's main entrance. Grabbing the one armed man by his legs and under his shoulders, the monks and abbot carefully carried him inside, the gate closing behind them.

Underneath his hat, the one armed man let the tiniest of smiles slip past, but he quickly pretended to play the sick, weary traveler.

"Where's that water?!" the abbot barked. They laid the one armed man down on a cot in their sleeping quarters, next to the main temple of the monastery. The two lower ranked monks hobbled towards the abbot, being careful to not let too much water splash out.

Dipping a cup into one of the buckets of water, the abbot carefully sat up the one armed man and brought the cup to their lips. The one armed man groggily reached for the cup before taking huge gulps. At least that part he wasn't faking. The one armed man was actually dying of thirst. He scooped up several more cups of water till he was satisfied. The one armed man was gasping by the time he was satisfied.

"Take it easy, young man. You look like you've had quite the journey," the abbot said.

"Where do you think he came from, sir?" one of the monks whispered.

"He's certainly got the looks of a foreigner," another monk added. Several nodded in agreement, also muttering their suspicions.

"Does all that truly matter?" the abbot rebutted, turning to give his pupils a scolding glance. "This man is clearly exhausted from his travels, and we should not judge him so unfairly. We should not judge those who come to seek shelter in Sunita's embrace."

Some of the monks had the decency to look ashamed, but there were still a few that looked at the one armed man with suspicion. Despite their remote location, they had heard rumors of a stranger attacking innocent monasteries, killing the abbots, and leaving no survivors.

The strangest part was how no prized relics would be stole in these attacks. Statues would be left in place, precious religious objects left untouched. The only place within the monasteries that had showed signs of being attacked were the libraries. Some of the monks had wanted to leave to investigate the other monasteries, as they were all part of the same religious group, but the abbot had forbid it.

"This might be our opportunity to get some answers," one of the monks whispered in a low voice to his two companions on either side of him. They lowered their voices more so that the abbot couldn't hear them.

One of them nodded, "Yeah, there's something about him that seems… _off_. I get the sense that he isn't one to be trusted."

"Tonight," the third monk added. "We'll try to pull him aside, and talk to him directly. And if he tries to fight us, I think we could take him. He's only got one arm. What's the worst he could do?"

* * *

Haruna had managed to give the other ambassadors the slip, and snuck onto the roof of the Hokage building. After hours of writing messages and responding to petitions, she was completely brain dead, and in need of a break.

She made herself comfy against the railing, and double checking to make sure that no one was looking, took out her copy of _Icha Icha Paradise_. With a cigarette in one hand, and her favorite book in the other, Haruna had to repress the urge to smile like a dope as she re-read her favorite moment of the story.

" _Emi," Fujio breathed as he cupped her delicate face in his large hands. There was a pained look in eyes, and it threatened to tear Emi's heart into two. She held her breath as to what Fujio would say next._

' _Please say that you love me,' Emi repeated like a mantra in her mind. 'Say that you love me. I need you, Fujio. More than you could possibly know…'_

" _There is nothing I would love more than to kiss you senselessly, ravish the temple of your body, and have my name fall from your lips all night. But I have a fulfillment, a role to play, when it comes to being a shinobi. I cannot ask you to-"_

" _Fujio, please!" Emi's desperate voice cut through Fujio deeper than he expected. She placed her hands over his. "I don't care what you say you are, or what people expect you to be! You are my Fujio, and I will always-"_

"Good book?" Kakashi's voice had ruined Haruna's immersion and she jumped, immediately hiding the book into the supplies pouch strapped to the back of her flack jacket.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," she managed to say without stammering too much, and flicked the cigarette away. She was obviously flustered, judging from how pink her ears were, and she made it a point to not look at him. To complete her facade, Haruna pouted and crossed her arms, looking none too pleased.

Kakashi smirked, knowing all too well how it felt to be caught reading a book like _that_ in public. He had gotten an earful from his students over the past several years because of it. But he couldn't lie - he was excited to meet another _Icha Icha_ fan. He was starting to think he was the only one for miles.

"Of course not," Kakashi replied calmly, hands buried into his pockets. He moved so that he was standing to Haruna's right, and could also lean against the railing. Haruna turned her head further away from him, her ears now a bright red.

 _She's kinda cute when she's embarrassed_ , he thought inadvertently. Her pout helped to pull it off.

"You're not…" Haruna started, but found herself stopping short. She felt like she had been caught red-headed stealing something from a store.

"I'm not…?" Kakashi pressed, curious as to where this was going to go.

"I don't know. Judge me, or something?" Haruna had been caught once reading the smutty, adult fiction, and had been teased relentlessly by her old squad mates. Haruna had loathed every second of it.

"Not at all. As a matter of fact," Kakashi pulled out his copy of _Icha Icha Tactics_ from his back pouch, "I'm a fan, too."

Her next reaction was priceless.

Haruna's eyes widened and she let out the tiniest gasp. She tentatively reached a hand out, her voice becoming an octave higher with excitement, "Whaaaat!? How do you have this?!"

"A gift from one of my students," Kakashi replied flippantly. Haruna was so tempted, _so tempted_ , to ask if she could borrow it. The series had been left on such a massive cliffhanger in the last installment that Haruna was dying to know if Emi survived the bombing.

Before she could ask to borrow his copy, Kakashi had placed the book back into his pouch. Haruna did her best to hide her disappointment. If Kakashi saw or caught on, he didn't show it.

"That student must be your favorite then," Haruna half-smiled as she started regaining her composure. She held onto the railing as she readjusted herself so that she could sit instead of lean. Kakashi shrugged, smiling contently under his mask. At least, that's what Haruna assumed he was doing.

"I'm rather fond of him, you could say."

"Who was he? Your student," Haruna asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Haruna's back straightened and felt as if she had been dunked in cold water. That was the second, consecutive surprise this man had dumped on her. She had just smoked a cigarette, too, so her heart wasn't in the best condition to deal with these kind of surprises.

"What?" Kakashi asked when he had seen the expression on Haruna's face tighten. Was it really that surprising?

"Nothing! It's just… you seem more like the strong and silent type, so the thought of you teaching someone who's the polar opposite of you," Haruna sighed and shook her head, looking out in no particular direction. "You must've had your hands full, I'm sure."

 _That's putting it mildly_ , Kakashi thought.

Haruna recalled seeing the infamous Naruto after the fighting had ended, when the Allied Forces had gone back to headquarters to get final tallies and estimates on those who were injured, who had been killed in action, start planning for restoration efforts, and the like. Haruna had been one of the lucky ones to make it out with no serious physical injuries, but the mental scars would surely be there.

When she had left one of the medial tents, Haruna heard a loud voice excitedly clamoring about something. She was too far away to make out what. People kept pointing and whispering about the blonde teenager and his "brooding friend" who had, apparently, saved everybody. Haruna looked at the trio of teenagers curiously. She noticed a couple limbs missing, but for the most part they seemed to have made it out alright.

As she turned to gather supplies and head home, a familiar, silver-haired nin caught her eye. Haruna turned her head back to see a familiar, masked-face smiling happily over the three, and Haruna found herself blinking dumbly a few times. Kakashi had looked up briefly, getting the sense that eyes were on him, and in their usual custom, their gazes had met. Haruna was the first to respond by dipping her head before she continued on her way. Kakashi had watched her walk a couple steps before turning his attention back to his students.

Kakashi brushed off Haruna's concern with a wave of his hand, "Mah, I managed, and he ended up being a good student in the end."

She chuckled, "You make it sound so easy. Dealing with teenagers is a challenge all on its own." That, Kakashi couldn't disagree with. She sounded like she spoke from experience.

"Did you teach a squad of your own?"

"About a year and a half before the war started, I did," Haruna fished out a small picture of her squad from the same back pouch. Kakashi took the picture and found himself smiling softly under the make, barely noticeable with the sun behind him.

Three doe-eyed genin, two boys and one girl, were beaming in the picture, with Haruna smiling warmly behind them, winking at the camera. The female student and one of the boys looked very similar, and Kakashi assumed they were fraternal twins. The third student appeared to be a bit grumpier (he was smirking more than he was smiling), but still looked excited all the same.

"Cute kids," Kakashi offered the photo back to Haruna. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at the photo before putting it away.

"I think so," she joked with a small laugh.

"Was that the only squad you taught?" Haruna nodded. "Too busy to each another one?"

"Yes, and no. I probably would have taught students sooner, but I was a member of the daimyo's guard for a number of years, and that took up a lot of my time," _Of course, it's a lot more complicated than that_ , Haruna thought.

"That explains the tattoo on your arm. I was wondering about that, actually," Kakashi glanced down at Haruna's sleeveless right arm.

On her bicep was a variation of the Twelve Guardian Ninja symbol. Rather than a triangle, it was a rhombus encompassing a black circle that held the symbol for Earth. It was a medium sized tattoo, and Kakashi wondered how much it must've hurt to get it. His own ANBU tattoo was fairly painful, as he recalled.

"If you had asked about it, I would have answered. Each daimyo has their own personal guard. Not exactly a big secret," Haruna smirked.

"I can't imagine being a daimyo's guard being too exciting," Kakashi replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He remembered when Asuma had become a part of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and after that whole business with Kazuma, things had significantly died down.

"You'd actually be surprised," Haruna slipped down from her seat on the railing. "The Land of Earth didn't necessarily build the best international reputation, so there were a lot of people trying to overthrow the earth daimyo."

"So what changed? Why'd you leave the guard to teach?"

"I didn't really have a say," Haruna laughed. "I think someone, probably one of my old teammates made the suggestion to the Tsuchikage, and Lord Third became…very insistent that I start teaching."

"Do you regret it? Becoming a teacher to a squad of genin?"

"Oh, not at all! Honestly, even thought I didn't have a say in it, I think it was one of the best things to have happened to me." A warmth filled Haruna's eyes before she sighed, and became too sentimental.

"As much as I appreciate our conversation, I should head back to the office before the other ambassador's have a fit for my sneaking away."

"And I have a mission report to file," Kakashi practically groaned. He hated doing mission reports.

"Well, if you ever wanna sneak away to talk some more, I'm always up for that," Haruna gave him a knowing smile before vaulting over the railings and made her way back to her office via window. Kakashi chuckled, and made his way to Tsunade's office, taking the long way to delay his report further.

* * *

Haruna yawned, grateful that the day had finally come to an end. She had been running back and forth for the rest of the afternoon between her office and sending messages back to Iwa. She was tired, she was hungry, and ready to sleep for the next ten hours.

The Suna and Kumo ambassadors had already retired for the day, allowing Haruna to have the office to herself. She had just come back from sending her last message, for now, to the Tsuchikage and planned on bolting it to her apartment. The only thing left was to lock the door for the day.

Before she did, Haruna noticed something on her desk, and immediately she assumed the worst.

 _Not another one_ , she bemoaned. To her surprise, it was a book. On top of the cover to _Icha Icha Tactics_ was a note written in a very neat, concise script.

 _Feel free to borrow this for as long as you like. I've already read it 20 times. - Kakashi_

Haruna was slightly taken aback. So he had caught on earlier! Though that shouldn't surprise her _too_ much, considering his reputation and skill. Still, she excitedly pocketed the book (and note), and rushed home to start reading after locking the office.


	3. Fightin' Words

**A/N: So before this chapter gets underway, let me just say thank you to the 20 some people who have added this story to their alert list/favorites! I honestly didn't think anyone would bother with this story since this site is swamped with Naruto stories, like…? Holy shit, thank you guys so much for giving this story a shot! I know I mentioned this before, but the first several chapters will start off slow; mostly to setup the plot, characters, all that good stuff.**

 **Thank you for your patience, and please review! On with the show~**

* * *

"There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me." ― Jane Austen

* * *

 _Haruna,_

 _I urge you to please reconsider, and to return to the Land of Earth capital as soon as possible._

 _Lord Daigo's health is fading more everyday. There are rumors he plans to name you as his successor, despite your legal status within the clan. You must come to the capital to help resolve this issue. The family is no position to have this kind of infighting, and you know why. Please respond at your earliest convenience._

 _Signed - Matsuno_ _Ganza_ _, 5th Daimyo of the Land of Earth_

The brunette re-read the letter two more times before crumpling the piece of paper, and tossing into the nearby bin. This was the third letter Ganza had sent her, but her responses had all been the same - no.

"When will he learn?" Haruna mumbled under her breath. She was tempted to send yet _another_ letter to her cousin, emphasizing that there was no way in hell she would abandon her duties in Konoha all for a family that barely acknowledged her presence up until a few years ago. She needed a much more compelling reason that just a few bickering cousins causing unnecessary drama.

Sighing, Haruna reached for a piece of paper and a brush, thinking of a response. Did she really want to bother? There was a chance Ganza would send an envoy, and drag her back to the Earth capital. Haruna chuckled at that; she would like to see Ganza try and pull that one off.

 _Screw it_ , she thought. What more did she have to lose? Maybe another piece of paper, and some ink, but those were easily replaceable.

 _Ganza-ojisama_ ,

 _I understand the predicament you are in, but for the last time, I cannot simply abandon my duties - a job you and the Tsuchikage helped assign me to, no less - all for the sake of a few relatives who never cared for either of our existences till recently. I have no legal standing within the clan to take on the position you are asking of me. Lord Daigo would not willingly ignore his own heirs; he has nothing to gain from it, we both know that, so there should be nothing to worry about._

 _Whatever the situation may be, I am confident that you and Asuka can handle it. You do not need my help. Of that, I can assure you. Now, please, leave me be._

 _Signed - Matsuno Haruna, Ambassador to Konohagakure_

She fanned the ink to make it dry faster, then quickly folded it before hiding the letter between a few folders stuffed with paperwork. The last thing Haruna wanted was someone nosy reading her personal correspondences. She was also thankful that she currently had the office to herself, though Haruna had no idea where Ikue and Kaname had gone.

Haruna sighed and rubbed her eyes. She felt tired from dealing with Ganza's letters, even though she had only been away from home for a couple weeks. It seemed as soon as she had left, things started going south within the Matsuno family.

She respected Ganza, and even though he was technically her cousin once removed, she had always thought of him as her uncle, due to how he and her father were fairly close. Ganza and Haruna had been burdened with the label of 'bastard' in the family, as their shared decedent was born illegitimate. Ganza had managed to overcome the stigma against him in the political field, whereas Haruna took the shinobi route and became a war hero.

It had worked to some degree, and some of the main family members had lessened the sting when they called either one of them 'bastard.' That still didn't stop some in the older generation from sneering at Haruna and Ganza, however.

 _Those old peacocks_ , Haruna thought bitterly as she crossed her arms.

Haruna had wanted to help Ganza, she genuinely did. He was the one of the few family members she liked, but her reluctance came from a place of bitter resentment against the main family. Years upon years of resentment, actually.

Taking the letter back out, Haruna debated once again if she should bother sending it or not. She felt like she was stuck between a rock, and a hard place. A knock at the door brought Haruna back to reality as Ikue poked her head in.

"Ah! There you are!" she stepped further inside, but still kept her hand on the doorknob. "I've been looking for you, Lady Tsunade has called for a meeting with the other ambassadors."

"Oh… I'll be there in a minute," Haruna tucked the letter away again, choosing to deal with that later. Ikue frowned, and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

"Is something the matter? You look pretty mad."

"Just some family trouble," Haruna smiled and waved off Ikue's concern. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Must be some family drama to make you look _that_ angry," Ikue shrugged. She wouldn't press the subject, as she knew it wasn't her place, but she was still really curious. "We should head to that meeting."

Haruna nodded, and followed the Suna ambassador in silence, still mulling over her family drama. She tried to hide it by looking bored as she possibly could, with hands dug into her pockets. The two rounded a corner and walked into a large conference room where Tsunade sat at the head of the table.

From her left sat the ambassador from Kirigakure, followed by the ambassadors from the minor shinobi countries such as Grass, Waterfall, and Rain; Kaname was sat directly across from Tsunade, and the last two seats close to the Hokage's right were empty. Haruna took the second to last chair. Once everyone was seated, one of the chunin standing outside closed the doors.

"Thank you all for taking the time to meet with me," Tsunade started. "Now that all the ambassadors have been accounted for, I would like officially to welcome you all to Konohagakure." All the emissaries bowed their heads in the seats, and Tsunade mimicked the gesture.

"Now, onto the first matter of business: refugee settlement."

* * *

The one armed man carefully sat himself up on the cot, thankful that the abbot had shooed the other monks away so that he could get some rest. Traveling through the harsh desert had been taxing. But, of course, the one armed man was using this opportunity to come up with a plan. This was the largest monastery he had been to yet, and he had no inkling as to where the scroll could be.

His first guess would be the library, as that was where the past scrolls had been, but each monastery was different. The temple in Grass Country, for example, their scroll had been hidden in one of the dragon statues.

Not to mention the one armed man had a hunch that a few of the monks had become suspicious of him since his arrival. His exploits at the other monasteries must've caught wind, even though there was no one left alive to confirm that he had been the one committing the crime. It was suspicious that a specific sect of temples were being targeted, becoming the scenes of violent crimes.

One of the monks came in, carrying a tray of food and another glass of water. "Ah! You're awake. The abbot said to bring you something so you can regain your strength." The one armed man sat at the foot of the bed, and with some careful maneuvering, took the tray, and placed it on his lap.

The monk lingered for a moment, his curiosity getting the better of him, "So… what's your name?"

"Sen," the one armed man replied plainly while taking a bite from a piece of bread. Though the monk kept his face neutral, as he was very unconvinced.

 _That's a strange name_ , he thought. He also couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something felt off about this 'Sen' character.

"What brought you out here, to our monastery, if I may ask?"

"I'm an academic," Sen took a sip of water before taking another bite of food. "I'm doing research on ancient religions." The monk was genuinely surprised, hardly expecting an answer like that. Sen looked more like a tired warrior with his missing right arm, and heavy bags under his eyes.

"During one of my readings, I came across a passage that described a series of temples and monasteries scattered throughout the world, said to be devoted to a being called Sunita. While I'm still not sure who Sunita is," that was a complete lie, yet Sen had the monk seemingly convinced, "this was the closest temple to where I had been staying. Imagine my surprise to see there's still life in this temple!"

"I see," the monk replied. "So, you're a nomad, it sounds like."

Sen nodded and finished the last of his food, "Indeed, it's rare that I ever stay in one place for very long." Now that was actually the truth.

The monk took the now empty tray of food, "Thank you for speaking with me. I'll let you rest now." Sen nodded, and moved back so that he could recline on the cot. Once the monk made it back to the kitchen, his two other colleagues quickly pounced on him.

"So?"

"Did you find anything out?" they asked at the same time. Setting the tray down near the other dirty dishes, the monk looked at the others skeptically.

"All I could get out of him was that his name is 'Sen,' though I doubt that's his actual name, and that he's an academic. Another thing I also doubt…"

The shortest of the three nodded, "'Academic' my hide! We should-" he was cut off when the bells chimed, indicating that evening prayers were about to start. All three sighed.

"We'll deal with this after prayers. We're surrounded by desert, so even if he escapes, where would he go?" one of the monks replied, and the other two silently nodded. The trio left the kitchens and walked with the other monks to the main temple, taking their respective seats in front of a large, bronze statue.

As the prayers commenced, Sen took this opportunity to sneak out of the monks' quarters to find the library, thus, finding the scroll he was after. Keeping to the shadows, Sen passed by the main temple were the monks sat on their knees on top of cushions, chanting as the abbot chimed a bell every few seconds.

The statue had long since rusted and turned a brownish-green color, Sen noticed, and it looked neither feminine, nor masculine. It had ambiguous facial features, but there was a gentleness carved into their expression. One of their hands formed the vitarka mudra; the palm was facing out while the tips of the thumb and index finger touched, thus forming a circle. The other was held up with the palm facing out in the abhaya mudra.

There was a detailed talisman hanging from a long chain around their neck, carved into the statue. Sen thought the pattern looked similar to the Uzumaki clan symbol, though the difference between the two was that the talisman wasn't a complete circular whirlpool; it looked more geometric with a small circle in the middle. Other beads decorated the talisman, making it seem more tribal.

Sen narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the statue, shaking the feeling that it was watching him. After a couple minutes of mindless wandering, Sen finally found the library, and immediately started looking. All the scrolls kept here seemed to be ancient, but that still didn't deter Sen. He also silently thanked whoever lit the torches in the library so that he could see better.

Sen pulled scroll after scroll from the shelves, hardly bothering to put them back, but he was quiet in setting them down so he wasn't making too much noise.

"How could a temple have so many different recipes for spicy chicken?" Sen huffed, clearly annoyed at how he wasn't getting anywhere in his snooping. He moved to another shelf, took out several more scrolls, and sighed before placing them on the floor. Sen repeated this process more times than he could count before he finally started getting somewhere.

"Ancient sutras, the Ura Canon…" Sen whispered the titles to himself. Some of these did sound interesting, but they weren't what he was looking for.

"Looking for something?" a voice called out. Sen snapped his head towards the library's entrance, and saw a trio of monks looking none too happy at his intruding. Sen recognized one of the monks as the one who brought him food earlier.

Sen remained quiet, but stood at his full height. He wanted to let the monks speak first. They entered a stalemate of silence, it seemed, as neither one was willing to budge.

"Are you here for the scroll?" one of them dared to ask.

"What scroll?" Sen asked, feigning innocence. The supposed leader of the trio scowled, taking a step forward.

"Don't be coy. No one ever comes this far out into the desert for leisure, or academic purposes," he scoffed. "We know you're after the scrolls."

"Why would I be after a scroll?" Sen asked, still pretending to be innocent

"Why bother tearing up our library? Clearly nothing in here has interested you so far," one of the other monks grimaced, glancing towards the haphazard pile of scrolls littering the floor.

"Got anything you recommend for reading material, then?" Sen smirked.

That did it.

One of the monks charged, channeling his spiritual energy, and the energy around him, into his clenched fist before punching a blast of air at Sen. The latter quickly dodged, crouching his knees and getting low. His hand formed half the Tiger hand seal, thus churning the chakra in his belly.

" _Katon_ : Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" A series of fire volleys spewed from Sen's mouth, and the monks ran out of the library to skirt around them. All four leapt into the courtyard, the main part of the monastery.

The abbot and the other monks emerged after having their evening prayers interrupted, eyes wide as they watched gusts of air and fire blast between the monks, and Sen. Once the four landed on their feet, the leader of the trio stepped forward.

"It was you, wasn't it? You attacked the other monasteries!"

Sen smiled wickedly, proudly. "Yes. Yes, I was. And I am taking back what is rightfully mine." A hand formed half the Tiger seal again before Sen spewed a giant fireball at the abbot.

* * *

Haruna clenched and unclenched her fist under the table. The ambassador from Kiri, an old man named Juzo, was getting on her last nerve.

"Lady Tsunade," Juzo drawled out, "As a representative of the Land of Water, I simply cannot agree to those terms! There is a precedent when it comes to-"

"Dealing with outsiders, yes. We heard you before, Juzo-san," Haruna snapped, not even bothering to hide the annoyed look on her face. Didn't he understand that times were changing?

Tsunade shot Haruna a knowing look, silently telling the younger woman to back off. "I understand that the traditions of Kirigakure are important to your people, but there comes a time when past mindsets and attitudes have to change. Your own Mizugake is an example of that."

Juzo scoffed, "The Fifth Mizugake is far too much of an idealist to think rationally. There must be change in moderation!"

"With all due respect, Juzo-san, there is no such thing as 'change in moderation' after war times," Tsunade replied. "The change already happened, so now it is the duty of us leaders, and diplomats," she gestured to the other ambassadors with a hand, "to help guide those who became lost in the chaos."

"Even so, Lady Tsunade, Kirigakure has been isolated from the outside world for so long," Juzo's facial hair bristled. "It will be difficult to have my people adjust to so many new faces."

"Then that is your problem, not ours!" Haruna shouted, rising from her seat, slamming her hands down on the wood of the table.

"Matsuno-san, sit down, now!" Tsunade barked, also rising from her seat.

"Forgive, my Lady Fifth, but I cannot take this old man's whining anymore," Haruna practically snarled. Juzo looked taken aback, and narrowed his eyes at Haruna.

"What did you say?" he sneered.

"I know you heard me, old man! If you are so concerned about how 'your people'," Haruna even raised her voice into a mocking tone, "feel about refugees seeking shelter in your homeland, than that is no concern of ours. That is the fault of your ancestors, and their policies. Tell _your_ people, _your_ village, that times have changed. Tell them it's time to move on, and to help those in need!"

Juzo had raised to his feet in the middle of Haruna's tirade, and he looked as if a blood vessel were about to pop. He gritted his teeth so hard that he could feel the enamel fading away.

"I said enough, Matsuno-san!" Tsunade yelled.

"I will not take this verbal abuse from a piece of Iwagakure trash!" Juzo fired back. "Let alone one who has a brother classified as a-"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence as Haruna punched clean through the table, splitting it in half. The other ambassadors jumped and retreated against the walls, looking wide-eyed at Haruna whose face was contorted into pure fury.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence…" There was a calm rage in her voice that set all the others, except Juzo and Tsunade, on edge. "Don't you dare finish that sentence if you know what's good for you, old man."

Juzo smirked, but before he could fire a retort, Tsunade held up a hand. She, too, looked just as furious as Haruna, but for a very different reason.

"I said enough," she growled. Haruna took a step back, glad that someone had intervened. She was ready to break Juzo's hip. Tsunade turned to Kaname and Ikue. "Get Matsuno-san out of here." The two nodded, and silently complied.

Ikue placed a hand on Haruna's shoulder as she ushered her out of the (now) damaged conference room. Kaname followed, but not before bowing and apologizing on Haruna's behalf. When Ikue opened the doors, everyone inside the room was surprised to see that a small group had gathered outside the doors.

Everyone who had been caught eavesdropping jumped back, and pretended to be doing something else, or faking the fact that they weren't listening in. Tsunade sighed, smacking her forehead and cursing under her breath. Haruna stomped her way to her office, with Ikue and Kaname still following her.

"I think we should leave her alone," Kaname whispered to his colleague. Ikue looked between the two. Haruna opened the door to their shared office and slammed the door so hard the walls shook.

"Probably a good idea," Ikue sweat dropped.

Further down the hall, Kakashi idly walked towards the group that was still gathered around the conference room, curious as to what was going on. Being slightly taller than the average a man, he could see over the crowd, and into the conference room. He blinked at the broken conference table, and Tsunade verbally laying into the ambassador from Kiri.

"What the hell happened?" he asked. Wasn't it supposed to just be a normal meeting? Why was the table broken? Why was Tsunade yelling?

"The Iwa ambassador got in the Kiri ambassador's face over the refugees settlement program," the envoy from Kusa replied. "He said something that got her really upset, and she punched the table."

Kakashi felt even more confused by that explanation, and merely responded with a simple, "What?"

* * *

Haruna, after getting lectured by Tsunade and putting down a large payment for a new table, debated about retreating to her apartment, or finding a spot people would less likely come looking for her so she could skulk in peace.

Going with the latter option, Haruna wandered in her angry haze till she came across a grassy, hilly area where the Naka River cut through. It looked sort of like a park, but no one was around. Stepping down the incline, Haruna laid down on the grass with a sigh, resting her hands behind her head.

"I should've punched him," Haruna thought aloud. That would've saved her some money in the long run.

Sighing once more, she pulled her hitai-ate down so that it covered her eyes, as to help block out the sun. Instead of pouting like she originally planned, Haruna decided to take an angry nap to help cool down.

She had been on there verge of falling asleep when something kept poking her. Haruna swatted whatever it was away, but the poking continued.

"Hey. Hey lady, you sleeping?" a voice asked.

 _So much for my nap_ , Haruna thought, feeling a little surly. Raising her ate on one side, she peeked her eye open, and saw a pair of curious blue eyes looking down at her.

"I was, till you started poking me," Haruna said sullenly while sitting up. She started readjusting her headband.

"Why were out here sleeping out here in the first place?" the blonde asked.

Haruna shrugged lazily, "Just felt like it, I guess. Do you always ask so many questions?" Naruto chuckled nervously, and sat down next to Haruna.

"Sorry, bad habit," he said apologetically. It was then he got a real good look at her face. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I fought in the war," Haruna started, "You might remember me as the person who summoned those giant bears when the Ten Tails broke apart?" That had been her moment of glory, so to speak, during the big battle. Her fellow Iwa nin had been cheering her on, while the other nin looked at her in awe.

"Ohhh, yeah! You're that bear lady!" Naruto looked excited as his memory started catching up. He recalled someone pointing out a giant black bear that was splitting one of the Ten Tails's separations in half, while an equally large brown bear was chomping another down. He thought it was one of the coolest things he had seen, and had shouted as much in the middle of battle.

"'Bear lady'?" Haruna asked, feeling mixed things at her new identifier. It wasn't the worst she had heard, but it still wasn't the most flattering of nicknames…

"I didn't know you were an Iwa ninja!" Naruto grinned, his smile taking up his whole face. "That's pretty cool you have such a unique summon! Are there others who can summon bears like you?"

"Not to my knowledge, no. I think I'm the first one in a while," Haruna lightly scratched her jaw. At least, that's what Kumaki had told her when she had signed the summoning contract.

"That's still pretty cool, though!" Naruto continued to beam. "I'm Naruto, by the way. Uzumaki Naruto!" He pointed to his chest.

Haruna gave a soft laugh, "I know who you are. There isn't a ninja alive who doesn't know your name at this point." Naruto blushed a little, waving off her comment with a laugh. "I'm Matsuno Haruna, the ambassador from Iwa."

"I think Granny Tsunade mentioned something about that," Naruto replied. Though he couldn't really remember since he wasn't paying attention when she mentioned it. His lessons with Iruka, so that he could become a jounin, made all the days blur together.

"Naruto!" a stern voice yelled out in the distance. The blonde's back stiffened, and he looked like he was about to get the biggest scolding of his life. A man a few years older than Naruto came jogging towards them. He almost fumbled his way down the incline, but quickly caught himself.

"I'm in trouble now," Naruto deadpanned. Iruka, red-faced and panting from running so much, glared at his student. He placed his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Did you runaway or something?" Haruna asked, looking between Naruto and the newcomer.

"Something like that, yeah…"

It was Haruna's turn to deadpan. Guess all students have the same habits, no matter where they're from.

"Break time," Iruka panted, marching towards Naruto and dragging him by the collar, "is over! Back to your lessons!" Iruka paused when he noticed Haruna watching the scene with mild curiosity, but mostly confusion.

"I'm sorry if he was bothering you, miss," Iruka smiled politely. The apology was clear in his voice.

"Uh… It was no trouble, really," Haruna replied, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "As a diplomat, I should be friendly with some of the locals."

"Diplomat?" Iruka repeated.

"Yeah, yeah! She's the ambassador from Iwa, y'know?" Naruto called, wriggling himself free so he could stand up. That didn't help Iruka feel better, as he now felt the need to apologize more.

Iruka started apologizing all over again, and Haruna had to calm him down once more.

"I said it was no trouble, and I meant it! Why would my answer change all of a sudden?" Haruna rubbed her temples, and Iruka was finally starting to relent once he realized he was going overboard on the apologies.

"If you'll excuse us, Madam Ambassador, we have a lesson to finish," Iruka bowed and started dragging Naruto away, who was now waving at Haruna's vanishing figure.

"Nice to have met you!" he called before disappearing from her sight. Haruna sweat dropped, utterly convinced that these Leaf ninja were an eccentric breed all on their own. While she did feel less angry than she did before, Haruna still felt the need to punch something.

There was also still the matter of her letter to Ganza, and whether or not she still wanted to send her response. It was better if he knew, rather than stay in the dark, as much as Haruna wanted to just ignore the problem altogether.

Shoving her fists into her pockets with a sigh, she made her way back to the Hokage's office. The sun had started to set by the time Haruna reached the building, which meant almost everyone should have gone home for the day. Haruna sincerely hoped that Juzo was a part of that group, as she had no desire to see him.

She had reached her office without running into anyone, thankfully, and her letter was still where she had left it. Haruna twirled the piece of paper in hands.

 _I really hope you can figure things out, Ganza-ojisan_ , Haruna thought. _I don't want to be a pawn in our family's game_.

Haruna pocketed the letter and locked the office for the night, hoping that her exit would be just as peaceful as her entrance.

"And she shows her face at last."

 _Goddammit_ , Haruna bit her tongue. She turned and saw Juzo glaring daggers at her.

"What do you want, Juzo?" Haruna asked, her face wooden.

"I am a man of honor, and today, you damaged my reputation."

Haruna wanted to laugh, but refrained from doing so. She shot him a feral smirk, "So sorry your ego is that delicate. I'll be gentle the next time I handle it."

Juzo looked ready to snap her in half. "I have had it with that foul tongue of yours!"

"Oh? I've never received any complaints about my tongue before."

"Clearly words are not enough!" Juzo yelled, looking very red in the face. "Kiri will not be accepting any refugees!"

"How spiteful are you?" Haruna jabbed back. "You would let innocent people suffer because of tradition, and paranoia?"

"You mock me, Matsuno! And you mock my people, my country! I will not stand for this any more!"

"Then stand up for yourself, and do something about it!" A moment of heavy silence fell between them.

"The training grounds, dusk."

"You're on."


	4. A Connection

**A/N: And the slow(ish) build-up continues! Hopefully I'm keeping it interesting enough for you all before the going gets good. As much as I wanna get to the meatier parts, and the 'flashback' chapters that show how Kakashi and Haruna met (yes, that's going to be thing), I still need to establish a few more things plot and character wise. Thank you to those that have added this story to their favorites/follows! On with the chapter~**

* * *

"It's not unpatriotic to denounce an injustice committed on our behalf, perhaps it's the most patriotic thing we can do." ― E.A. Bucchianeri

* * *

Kakashi stared into his cup of tea that had since turned cold. He had spent most of his morning deep in thought, still pondering as to what was holding him back from becoming Hokage. As it were, he could still not think of anything nor pinpoint the root of his mental block, other than the fact that he simply felt unprepared. Although, was anyone really ever prepared for taking on such a mantle? There was also one more thing, however…

He was still unsure as to what his feelings were in regards to Haruna being ambassador, and why he was even bothering to mull over it. Kakashi was in a weird, emotional limbo where he felt happy, confused, and surprised all at once. It was not as if they had history, or years worth of friendship to lean on. Hell, it been about ten years since they had last saw each other. The outbreak of the war was what had 'reunited' them, so to speak, but even then they hadn't had a chance to properly catch up. Yet Haruna had always been in the periphery of his mind ever since they first met as teenagers.

It was odd for Kakashi to feel this connection to a person that really wasn't a notable figure from his past. But she had left such a strong impression on him that Kakashi had carried the faint memory of her so many years now. Was it a physical attraction that compelled him to do that? He pondered that question whenever she had found her way into his dreams, or if his mind ever wandered towards thoughts of Haruna.

But it couldn't be just that, Kakashi had reasoned. There had to be more to it. But, objectively speaking, Haruna _was_ a beautiful woman. Her wavy, jet black hair and olive skin gave her an exotic air; her high cheekbones and slanted, almond-shaped eyes almost made Haruna look cat-like in her facial features. Even as a teenager, Kakashi recalled how is eyes lingered on her face when they had met for a second time, when he had actually gotten a chance to see her face. He had also noticed how she was, basically, all legs with a short, pear-shaped torso.

Perhaps, he had rationalized during one of his many sleepless nights, that they had felt a certain camaraderie with each other; a kindred spirit, and that's why he felt this 'pull' towards her. It wasn't uncommon for shinobi to relate to one another in terms of hardships and battle experience, and that was something they certainly had in common. But in his arrogance during his teenage years, a 19-year-old Kakashi had squandered that thought, and chalked it up to the hormones that had raged through his body.

Kakashi's thoughts were validated not long after that realization, when he had woken up from an incredibly vivid dream where he had had Haruna pinned beneath him. It felt so realistic that, for a moment, Kakashi could've sworn that he could _feel_ her breath tickling the curve of his neck as Haruna panted his name; that he could feel the more supple parts of her body pressed flushed against him. Kakashi had woken with a start, his pants utterly soiled; his hips were slightly thrusting upward. But the dream confirmed his suspicions, regardless.

So why then, years down the road, did his mind occasionally wander to thoughts about Haruna? Why would he wonder how she was doing, if she were in good health? Why would he vainly hope that he crossed her mind as she did his? It wasn't love, but there was certainly _something_ that compelled Kakashi to even think about her. Curiosity? Lust? If a few of his dreams were an indication of that, then the latter was certainly a possibility. But Kakashi was a realist, and at worst, a cynic, so in his mind, there must've been more to it than that. His teenage self had been proven wrong in spectacular fashion.

Perhaps the only reason he was bothering to compartmentalize this at all was because the green-eyed beauty had wandered her way back into his dreams after a six month hiatus. Kakashi could still recall the dream quite clearly. They were laying together in bed, just simply looking at one another. There was no frantic need to touch or feel one another in some of his past dreams about her. They just simply existed next to each other, laying side by side in the most innocent of ways.

In a way, that had felt more intimate than Kakashi's past dreams that stared Haruna.

Her face, Kakashi noticed in his dreamy haze, had hardly aged a day (though in his defense, it had been awhile since they saw one another). He had reached a hand out to trace the curve of her face with his thumb. Her eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into his touch. Kakashi remembered chuckling softly at her reaction, and his thumb ran over the two small beauty marks under her right eye.

Haruna had slowly opened her eyes, and hooked her finger into his mask to pull it down. As soon as she gave a slight tug, Kakashi had been woken up by his alarm. And he had never felt more relaxed in his life. He was also surprised that he had allowed her to even touch his mask, even if it was only a dream. Now that Haruna was back in his life again, consistently at that, it made Kakashi feel a little more confused. To his credit, he did know this much: Haruna was still very easy to talk to, she still occasionally smoked, and she probably still liked spicy food.

It was comforting, in a way, to know Haruna had stayed the same on some level. Consistency was good, and reliable. God knew Kakashi needed something like that in his chaotic life.

Sighing, Kakashi took his cold cup of tea and dumped its contents into the sink. Lowering his mask, he thoughtfully scratched his chin before sighing again. He seemed to be doing that a lot nowadays. He finished getting ready and double-checking that the door was locked, headed towards the Memorial Stone as part of his morning ritual.

* * *

Haruna furiously scribbled another letter to Ganza. She assumed that he had sen out another letter right after the one she received yesterday - in case something had gone wrong. The Iwa ambassador was getting so fed up with Ganza's begging that she considered becoming head of the Matsuno family just to shut him up.

Haruna was an infuriatingly stubborn woman, yet that still didn't seem to deter Ganza from trying. But Haruna would rather chew sand than deal with the politics of her family.

 _Ganza-ojisama,_

 _Please refer to my previous letter in regards to your request. My feelings remain unchanged._

 _Signed - Matsuno Haruna, Ambassador to Konohagakure_

Ikue and Kaname shared a knowing look between one another as Haruna grumbled while folding her letter shut so that she could send it later. It also didn't help that Haruna was still angry at Juzo from yesterday. The Suna and Kumo ambassadors also had no idea that two, supposedly professional dignitaries, were planning on duking out their differences with their fists later today.

Their fight was still on after working hours, so far as Haruna knew.

"You wanna talk about it?" Ikue asked. Haruna's frown never disappeared as she shook her head.

"Are you sure? Kaname added. "Cause I don't think the paper deserved it…"

Haruna dragged her hands down her face, whining frustratedly, "Let's just say I have a family problem that refuses to settle itself, and I'm constantly being dragged into the middle of it."

"I'm sure things will work out in the end," Ikue gave Haruna a sympathetic look. While the dark-haired woman appreciated the sentiment, Ikue had no idea of the situation that was happening in the Land of Earth.

Her clan held a lot of political power, and if and when Daigo finally croaked, it would create a power vacuum within the family. But Haruna couldn't just take up the title Lady Matsuno. No, there was too much baggage attached to her line, and most (if not all) of the clan elders disapproved of her being Daigo's heir.

 _That's just a rumor, though_ , Haruna reminded herself. _It's not actually going to happen_.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Ikue, I really do. But it's too convoluted of an issue that it can be settled on its own," Haruna smiled weakly, resting her chin against her knuckles. "I think I need a break. I'll be on the roof."

Ikue and Kaname knew that the conversation was effectively over when Haruna pulled out her little carton of cigarettes and a lighter. Whenever Haruna planned on taking a smoke break, she _planned_ on taking that break. Not even God was gonna stop her.

Leaning against the railing on the rooftop, Haruna let the cigarette dangle from the corner of her mouth while she flicked her lighter on and off.

"I should really quit smoking," she mumbled to herself, finally lighting the stick of tobacco in her mouth.

For the amount of times Haruna had tried to quit smoking, she would need an extra hand to keep count. There were successful bouts where she had managed to quit for a while, but every time something incredibly stressful happened, Haruna was quick to relapse.

Taking a long drag, Haruna held the smoke in the back of her throat, feeling that edge slowly ebb away as that slight burning sensation tickled her. Haruna held it in for a few seconds more before softly exhaling, watching the smoke slowly plume from her mouth.

Haruna leaned her head back and closed her eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the sun. The chill of autumn was starting to fully permeate the air, signaling a late winter.

"Long day?" a male voice asked. Haruna's eyes flickered to the source before shrugging nonchalantly. She took another quick drag of her cigarette before flipping it away with her fingers.

"More like a long week," Haruna said while exhaling another plume of smoke.

"I'm sure people have told you those are bad for you," Kakashi added, standing to Haruna's left.

"Oh, please. I tell myself that every time, but I just can't seem to quit. My grandmother is the worst, though." Haruna could just hear her Gramma Setsuko reprimanding her for indulging in such a disgusting habit like smoking.

"I'm sure she means well."

"She absolutely does, and I love her to death, but… Isn't part of adulthood making the decision you know is bad for you, regardless of consequences, anyway?"

Kakashi looked at Haruna dumbly for a moment before briefly chortling, giving her his iconic eye-smile, "Maybe. I'm still figuring that out, too." Haruna gave a soft laugh and shook her head.

"What brings you here, Hatake? Here to turn in another mission report?"

"Yeah, and Lady Tsunade wanted to see me," he replied, looking upwards the Hokage Face Monument, arms crossed against his chest. Haruna followed his gaze and glanced up towards the giant stone faces that looked over the valley

"Gonna try and convince you to become Hokage sooner than you'd like?" Haruna asked, still looking upward. Kakashi almost balked. Almost.

"Did she tell you?" he asked regretfully. It probably wasn't much of a secret that Kakashi was being vetted for the position of Sixth Hokage, but still…

"No, I heard her yelling slash complaining to Shizune-san when I was passing by her office earlier today," Haruna replied easily. Kakashi sweat dropped.

 _Like that's any better_ , he thought bitterly.

"I know this isn't my place," Haruna started, turning her head to look Kakashi head on. "But… why are you hesitant to become Hokage? Isn't that something people in your village dream of? I know that Uzumaki boy keeps yapping on about it."

Kakashi met her gaze, feeling more than a little surprised that she mentioned Naruto so candidly.

"I see you've officially met the Great War Hero himself," Kakashi said.

"He interrupted my nap yesterday. Long story," Haruna quickly added when she noticed Kakashi's confused expression. "But I ran into him again at that ramen place after I closed the office. I mostly wanted to stuff my face and go home, but that boy certainly is talkative… And the way he inhales his food! People say _I_ have an appetite… oi!"

Kakashi had to bite down on his tongue to prevent himself from laughing out loud, but he at least had the decency to look somewhat apologetic. Naruto was certainly the kind of person who made a strong first impression.

"He's not so bad once you get to know him, I promise. He means well," he silver-haired jounin replied.

"Even so, he could stand to lower his voice a few notches," Haruna lightly tugged at her earlobe.

"Aside from early set-on hearing problems, how goes the ambassador program?"

Haruna's face darkened, and Kakashi wondered if he had asked something he shouldn't have. She took a deep breath before answering.

"It would go much smoother if some of the other ambassadors could understand that we are in peacetimes, and the need to hang on to old grudges and habits are no longer needed," Haruna practically growled.

"This… wouldn't have to do with the table you punched in half yesterday, does it?"

"Yeah, it does," Haruna sighed, rubbing her temple. "And I had to give Lady Tsunade a huge down payment for a new conference table."

 _I still think she was jerking me on the price. No table is_ that _expensive_ , Haruna thought.

"Was smashing the table in half really necessary?" Kakashi added, wanting to know more details now that he had a chance to talk to the source.

"No, no it wasn't. I will admit that I did overreact." Haruna did feel ashamed of loosing her temper so quickly. But sometimes there were certain things that could get Haruna worked up very fast. Juzo seemed to have caught onto that immediately, as Haruna recalled that smug look on his face whenever he caught her grimacing. "But the ambassador from Water Country is just so… so…"

"Infuriating?" Kakashi offered, getting the sense that Haruna was still more than a little miffed at whatever happened yesterday.

"Yes! Thank you!" Haruna half-smiled. "He was constantly going on and on about the people from Water Country, and how they couldn't accept any refugees because of how closed off the country used to be; too much of a shock, was his excuse. Just thinking about it makes me want to punch another table, to be honest..."

"Please don't cause any more property damage," Kakashi sweat dropped again. "Why did that bother you so much?"

"Because the Mizu ambassador is basically abandoning people in need!" Haruna huffed, looking exasperated. "All because he's too proud to let go of a few archaic traditions…"

Kakashi looked at Haruna as she frowned at her feet. "It really bothers you that much?"

"Yes. I would never abandon people who needed me." The way she responded made it sound as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "We, as shinobi, have been used too long as tools of war for those in power; we were nothing but pawns in the great game of warfare and politics. We now have the chance to foster peace, and to change things for the better! If we don't take advantage of this opportunity, then what was the point of uniting all the Great Shinobi Countries during the Great War?"

Haruna paused, looking back down at her feet before looking back up at the giant faces of the Hokage. "It would be a waste. We owe not only to ourselves, but the next generation, to at least try."

Kakashi kept his gaze on her as she spoke, and as she did, he felt himself becoming impressed, moved, by her little speech. Haruna made points that he fundamentally agreed with, and he couldn't help but respect Haruna for stating her mind so plainly.

"That's very noble of you," he said. Haruna turned her eyes back to him, dark green clashing with dark grey. His gaze wasn't necessarily intense, but there was a certain weight to it that made Haruna feel like all he could focus on was her. It was strange, and made her feel uncomfortable.

Still, the corners of her mouth pulled upward in a small, appreciative smile. "It's ironic, really," she began, "not even four years ago, that kind of thinking in Iwa would have gotten me kicked out and slapped in the Bingo Book as a traitor. Now, the Tsuchikage is encouraging everything he can to foster better relations with the other countries."

Kakashi blinked a few times, "Things are that strict in Iwagakure?"

"They are for all Iwa shinobi. Regardless of rank," Haruna sighed. "We were expected to follow the Tsuchikage's orders, no matter what the context of the mission was." _Even if it meant death_ , Haruna added in her head.

With this, Kakashi felt things clicking in his head as to why Haruna felt the way she did about the shinobi world, judging from her little speech earlier. If things really were they was she described in Iwagakure, then it would be understandable that Haruna would carry resentment to those who were in power. She made it sound like the Tsuchikage, for most of his tenure, had used his men as a means to an end, and without much consideration for the very lives of the shinobi he was sacrificing.

Were the roles reversed, Kakashi liked to think that he would be just as equally disgusted. But considering how dark things were in his teenage years, Kakashi doubted he would have been so noble.

Silence fell between them, and neither party were sure if it was a comfortable silence, or a heavy, awkward one. Haruna felt like breaking the quietness between them, but a barking voice from inside effectively cut her off.

"Where the hell is he?!" Tsunade stomped in the hallway below them. Kakashi and Haruna could feel the tremors beneath them, and the silver-hair jounin looked like he may be sick. Though that was probably just the anxiety, though.

"Sounds like you're running late," Haruna lightly teased. Kakashi merely groaned, to which Haruna patted him comfortingly on the shoulder. "You've handled worse. You got this."

"I'm glad someone has faith in me," Kakashi offered weakly. "I'll see you around." Giving a quick wave, he vaulted over the railing and into the building.

Haruna, realizing how long she must've been on the roof talking to an old comrade (would she even categorize Kakashi as a comrade?), decided it was best for her to go back inside as well - as much as she didn't want to.

Kakashi (on the other hand), after having another lengthy, rooftop conversation with Haruna, felt more clearheaded about his peculiar attachment. He admired her compassion to help others in times of need, as well as her bluntness when speaking her mind. Kakashi respected how she didn't skirt around her feelings. He also knew how capable she was, having seen her in battle multiple times in a range of different scenarios. If he did have to label his feelings, it was respect. Kakashi respected Haruna, and their conversations seemed to cement that fact. And perhaps, for once, it could just be that simple.

Knocking carefully on the door to Tsunade's office, Kakashi waited for all the all clear to enter. Shizune looked a little fidgety, though that was probably a side-effect from having to calm Tsunade down.

"He finally makes an appearance," Tsunade said dryly. Kakashi would have apologized, but Tsunade was not in the mood for it; she was too annoyed. "Look, Kakashi, I'm just going to get straight to the point.

"The Shinobi Union has called for a joint investigation into a chain of monasteries that have been attacked recently. I'm sending you to represent Konohagakure during these investigations. Feel free to assemble a four-man team, most of the other countries are, so far as I understand."

The conversation was quick, and one sided, but Kakashi was able to keep up. He wasn't a jounin for nothing.

"Understood," he bowed. "Will I be meeting the other representatives in the Land of Iron?" That was place the Shinobi Union usually met, so that was the logical conclusion in his mind.

Tsunade shook her head, "You're heading to Wind Country, first thing day after tomorrow."

* * *

About an hour before the sun was supposed to set, Haruna had left the office early, claiming that she was getting a terrible migraine. Kaname didn't really seem to care (he was busy with some petition Killer B was trying to get passed), but Ikue had offered some of the ibuprofen she carried on her. Haruna, with some difficulty, shook Ikue off and gave her officemates the slip.

After nearly getting lost a few times, Haruna had finally managed to find the training grounds. She took her time to warm-up; to get back into the flow of fighting, so to speak. She went through her usual preparations faster than normal, given the circumstance. By the time the sun was beginning to set Juzo had shown up, and with a small entourage.

"Hey, hey! What's with the posse?" Haruna asked, gesturing to the three individuals standing behind Juzo. The old man smirked, rolling out his wrists.

"I figured we could use an audience," Juzo replied airily, "for when I put you in your place."

Haruna scoffed, "Good luck with that, old man. But since they _are_ here to witness The Bear Sage kick your ass, let's make things a little interesting. A wager."

Juzo's brow quirked upward, "Oh?" He highly doubted she was the acclaimed Bear Sage, too. That made him laugh inwardly.

"If I win, you will have to accept no less than 5,000 refugees into Water Country."

"And if I win?"

"Whatever your shriveled heart desires."

"Iwa will take on the burden of accepting, and placing, _all_ the refugees within the Land of Earth. You certainly have enough space for them in your country than the others combined."

Haruna, confident in her abilities to beat him, only nodded in agreement. She took her fighting stance, her body feeling loose, limber, and ready to go. Juzo also took his first position, fists raised against his chest.

"Ladies first," he said. Haruna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, absorbing the natural energy around her. They had agreed on only using taijutsu for the fight, but Juzo didn't say anything about senjutsu. But then again - he had no idea Haruna was a Sage.

Faster than he could possibly blink, Juzo was met with a hard right-hook to his face. He was certain a few teeth had been knocked loose. But the look in her eyes showed that she had come at him with the intent to kill. Especially with how they looked now.

Haruna's eyes had transformed from a deep green, to a dark, amberish brown; her pupils were constricted, the sclera had turned black, and a deep brown stripe ran across her eyes from temple to temple. The stripe framed the sides of her nose, giving it a snout like appearance. Even her canines extended a couple centimeters to poke out from under her top lip. To Juzo, and the others, she looked like a demon.

Juzo was pushed back several yards from her first blow, but he eventually managed to recover himself. Haruna had used the momentum she built up to also push herself back. Once she landed on the ground, Haruna somersaulted to help catch herself, and smacked the ground with both her fists.

It felt like a miniature earthquake, and Juzo and his party momentarily lost their footing. The dust cloud that had settled around them made Juzo fall into a coughing fit.

"Such brute strength…" One of the men Juzo brought along with him whispered. The older man scoffed, and shouted into the dust, unable to see where his little entourage went.

"She's only using her senjutsu to amplify her strength and speed. Don't be fool-!"

Another hard punch had cut him off, only this time, Haruna's fist had made contact with Juzo's gut. He could've sworn he felt claws digging into his stomach.

"Stay alert, old man. It isn't much of a fair fight if you aren't paying attention," Haruna said flatly.

 _Okay_ , Juzo grunted in his head, _so maybe she is the Bear Sage after all_.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura had felt the tremors clear across Konoha, and it seemed so did most of the villagers, as several fell to the ground upon loosing their balance. The two teenagers wobbled on their feet while struggling to stay up.

"Was that an earthquake?" Naruto asked once the vibrations ceased. Sakura slowly shook her head, looking off into the distance where bird were scattering and crying out in fright.

 _That's from the training grounds_ , Sakura noticed. "No… earthquakes usually have aftershocks right after. This is something else. It feels... off. I'm gonna go check it out. Go get Kakashi-sensei just in case."

Naruto wanted to argue that he should go look, but knew better than to argue with Sakura. Especially with such a determined look on her face. He nodded, and with some reluctance, leapt away to find Kakashi. Sakura wasted no time and made b-line for the training grounds.

* * *

Haruna had to hand to Juzo - when he put his all into a fight, he was a decent opponent. After that hard punch to his gut, it seemed to have kicked him into high gear as he had grabbed Haruna's arm, twisted it, and nearly slammed her into the ground in an attempt to dislocate her shoulder. She had managed to pull off escaping in a puff of smoke to attack him from above.

Juzo had been quick to dodge that as well, and soon the two were barely starting to graze one another. It was an evenly placed match in terms of skill.

"Gotta hand it to you, young lady," Juzo panted, wiping some of the sweat off his face. "I certainly underestimated you."

"Hm," was all Haruna replied.

"I think I'm starting to respect you, even."

"Too bad you don't respect the lives of those in need," Haruna shot back.

Haruna wasn't sure if Juzo was being sincere or not when he said that. But, he actually was, to a certain extent. During their fight, Juzo had come to realize that he had pegged the Iwa ambassador the wrong way. He originally thought her to be a headstrong idealist, as a side-effect of her youth, and perhaps she was to a degree. But he had also come to realize that Haruna was fierce and protective of those in need. Why bother to fight him just to prove a point, to just settle their differences? No, she bothered to go fist-to-cuffs with him because, in her mind, this would help to convince him to accept refugees who had nowhere else to go.

And by God, Juzo was actually starting to reconsider his position. No one bothered to fight for the things they didn't believe in.

Haruna had made a mess of the training grounds, however. Her powerful punches and kicks that had been aimed for him occasionally missed, and when they made contact with the ground, they tore apart the earth even further. Haruna had even split her fair share of trees in half, too. The two were about to charge at one another again, but Konoha's domestic forces had come to put a stop to the fight. Two jounin grabbed Haruna's arm and held her back, while two more did the same to Juzo. Neither ambassador fought against those that held them back. They knew they would get caught - eventually.

"Haru-chan?" Naruto asked when he emerged on the scene, Kakashi in tow. Sakura looked between her old squamate and the Iwa ambassador, who was still in Sage Mode. Sakura thought Haruna looked downright terrifying with her face like that. And the damage was worse than anyone expected.

"You know her?" Sakura whispered to Naruto. He nodded, and quickly explained how he met the Iwagakure ambassador.

"This ought to be fun explaining this to Lady Tsuande," Kakashi sighed. _Didn't I ask her to not cause any more property damage?_

"If it helps," Haruna called as she turned off her Sage Mode, sensing Kakashi's irritation as his shoulders drooped, "I can help pay for the re-landscaping."


	5. Questions and Settlements

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." ― Milton Berle

* * *

"I'm sure you understand as to why you are being temporarily suspended," the Tsuchikage said.

Haruna sat across from him in a small conference room, arms crossed and trying her best to not look too upset. Pride was her second worst sin, and she was currently nursing a wound to her dignity.

After her little spat with Juzo, Tsunade has called for the Tsuchikage and Mizukage to come to Konoha and deal with their respective ambassadors. It felt more like a nanny had called a child's parent for acting out, but regardless, Onoki had asked to speak with Haruna privately before all five, Juzo, Mei (the current Mizukage), Tsunade, Haruna and Onoki, sat down together as a group.

"I do, Lord Third," Haruna replied, repressing the urge to kick the table between them in half. She felt like she was being treated like a child, though in fairness, Haruna could understand why. The fight was out completely of line.

"Hopefully, the next time you have a disagreement with another ambassador, you will handle it in a more… professional fashion?" Onoki asked. Haruna managed to give a brief nod, but Onoki gave Haruna a look that teetered on the edge of devious. Despite their agreements in the past, the two certainly did go back aways. Plus, Onoki couldn't bring himself to be too harsh on one of his top shinobi.

"But just between you and me, Matsuno-san," he said in a low voice, leaning in closer to Haruna, which the latter mimicked, "I'm glad you knocked some sense into that old Mizu windbag. Way to show them what's what."

Onoki winked. _Actually_ winked. Haruna took a second to process what had happened before smirking and leaning back in her chair. It paid to be on the Tsuchikage's good side in times like these. Even though that wasn't always Haruna's case.

"Well, Kitsuchi did say I was the best person to show these Leaf ninja a thing or two," Haruna offered back. Onoki canted his head to the side thoughtfully.

"True, you did show them your foul temper." The two shared a knowing look, with Haruna giving a soft chuckle. "In any case, let's get this over with. The sooner we finish, the sooner I can rest my back."

"You really should just retire, sir," Haruna offered. "Your back keeps giving you more and more trouble."

"I still have a few more issues to settle before I can retire, but I am thinking about doing it soon. The only reason I'm even considering on retiring is because Kurotsuchi won't stop nagging me about it," Onoki rolled his eyes while Haruna softly chuckled.

"I take it she's been doing that more often, sir?" Haruna asked. Onoki only huffed in response while rolling his eyes. That was a silent yes.

"We're getting off topic, Matsuno. Come on, let's get this over with."

Rising from his seat, Onoki poked his head out of the door, beckoning for one of the Leaf ninja standing by to bring in the others. By the time Onoki made it back to his seat, Juzo, Tsunade, and Mei took their seats with Tsunade taking the lead for the meeting. Haruna and Juzo gave each other a cool look, barely acknowledging each other's existence.

"Let's settle this, shall we?" Tsunade asked, taking out a few sheets of paper.

* * *

 **Sunagakure**

Only one monk survived. The others, including the abbot, were not as fortunate.

Mako had only managed to survive the massacre was because he was one of the first to escape. For days, he crossed the vast desert towards Sunagakure in the hopes of finding some help. He hated himself for his cowardice while his brothers stayed to fight for their sacred site. Mako had even talked of doing so with Kyo and Osamu before the fighting broke out. He tried to rationalize his survival by convincing himself that he could get help in capturing Sen, the one who had been defiling all the different monastery locations for weeks.

It did very little to ease his conscious. And Sen still got away.

His grief aside, Mako was cooperative with the medical professionals that tended to him, and the Suna nin that occasionally came in to question him. They asked for the basics at first: Who was it that attacked the monastery? What did they look like? Did you notice a hitai-ate or any other symbol that may suggest affiliation with any ninja village?

While Mako noticed no signs of any sort of affiliation, he would never forget the face of their attacker. The pale, gaunt face of Sen and his one arm would forever haunt him.

Meanwhile, at the Kazekage's office, Masaji, the head of the Suna hospital, quickly introduced himself after Gaara verbally gave permission for the former to enter his office. Masaji made a break to the Kazekage's left and whispered lowly in Gaara's ear, handing the red-head a file before exiting the room.

"Is everything alright?" Kakashi asked once the door was closed. He, Shikamaru, and Hoheto Hyuga had only arrived minutes before Masaji handed Gaara the file. Not enough time to go over the purpose as to why they were summoned to Suna.

"No, and I am not sure I know where to begin," Gaara sighed, looking more tired than he usually did. "There was a terrorist attack of some kind a few days ago, deep in the desert. The target was a remote monastery that really has no importance."

Shikamaru's brow quirked up. It wasn't uncommon for religious sites to be a target for attacks, but what was it that made a remote temple so special? "Can you tell us more about the monastery? Was there a certain religion being practiced there?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much," Gaara leaned back in his seat. "It's a monotheistic culture with a small handful of followers. It's also an incredibly obscure religion. But, so far as I know, it's been around for well over a thousand years."

 _Strange_ , Shikamaru thought, holding his chin in his hand.

"Is this attack the reason you asked Lady Tsunade to send a small team?" Hoheto asked. Gaara nodded and rose from his chair.

"I get the sense that this goes deeper than a simple monastery attack."

"What gives you that impression?" Kakashi asked.

"There was a survivor from the attack, a low ranking apprentice we found wandering the desert," Gaara said. "He was the one who told us what had happened, how he escaped, what the perpetrator was after, what they looked like…"

"And what were they after?" Shikamaru asked, the picture starting to become more clear.

"A scroll," Gaara answered, turning his head to look at Shikamaru.

All three Konoha nin shared a look, not sure of what to make of that info. But the cogs kept turning in Shikamaru's head as the genius began to piece things together. No scroll is worth razing an entire monastery to the ground.

 _Unless there's something worth creating a massacre over_ , Kakashi thought.

He took a step forward, "Lord Kazekage, could we speak with the survivor?"

Gaara nodded and motioned for the trio to follow him when he held open the door to his office. They did not have to go too far, as the hospital was connected to the Kazekage building via tunnel that was built over one of the main streets.

The hospital was eerily quiet, and most of the staff tried to find ways to keep busy after tending to their usual patients that had permanent stays in the facility. Gaara stopped the group briefly to ask one of the nurses where Mako was staying. They muttered to each other quietly for a minute before Gaara continued leading them further down the hall.

"Here it is," Gaara pointed with a nod of his head to the room number that was currently lit up, indicating that there was a patient there.

The monk, currently, was idly flipping though a few old magazine that had been provided to him. There clearly wasn't much interest, judging from the bored expression on Mako's face. He seemed to have only been interested in the advertisements, nor did he seem to care that there were four, high ranking ninja outside his room.

Mako had quickly gotten used to people loitering outside or around his room.

 _Wonder who the three with the green vests are_ , Mako thought to himself. _Never seen them before_.

"Just to let you know," Gaara started, "he's still a little on edge of from the attack. Survivor's guilt, mostly, the doctors say."

Kakashi had to resist the urge to smirk. God be damned if he couldn't relate.

"Be careful with your questions, try not to overload him or pry too much," Gaara continued to advise. "He almost attacked one of our senior investigators and we had to sedate him."

"We will be as deft as possible, Lord Kazekage," Hoheto replied.

Gaara merely nodded, but had one last piece of advice, "Also, judging from how jumpy the patient still is, I think it might be best if only one of you goes in to ask questions."

All three Konoha-nin nodded. Hoheto volunteered to go first, but Shikamaru had offered up Kakashi, mostly because the latter was known for worming pieces of information out of anyone.

"That may be so, but I'm not the most sensitive when it comes to people's feelings," Kakashi replied. Which was true, he was about as subtle as a flying brick when it came to being delicate around people.

How he handled his own grief for several years did nothing to help with that.

"Just… try not to be a dick, alright?" Shikamaru huffed. _Man, what a drag_.

Sighing, Kakashi reluctantly agreed and stepped forward to open the door. Mako's head finally perked up when the doorknob turned and in stepped Kakashi.

 _What a strange hair color_ , Mako thought.

Although, it had been a long time since Mako had seen his own. As soon as he joined the monastery, his head had been shaved to match all those that worked and lived in the temple.

"Hi," Kakashi said when he was an arm's length away from the bed. Mako only inclined his head as a response. Was this another interrogation? If so, Mako wanted to throw his magazine at the stranger and shoo everyone away so he could have some peace and quiet.

 _Haven't I answered enough questions_ , Mako asked himself bitterly.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" Kakashi asked, pointing to a chair near the door. Mako eyes squinted suspiciously.

"Am I being questioned again?" Mako asked, not waiting for Kakashi to respond. "Look, I already gave these… Sand fighting people all the information I know. I don't know what more what you people want from me!"

During his little venting session, Kakashi had taken the liberty to grab the chair and sit himself a little closer to the hospital bed. Mako, seemingly upset by this, figured there was no use in fighting, verbally of physically. He had tried that and failed multiple times already.

There had to be a point when it was time to throw in the towel.

"I'm not here to question you," Kakashi said, tempted to pull out a copy of _Icha Icha Paradise_ to pull off his aloof, 'I-don't-give-a-rat's-ass' persona at the moment. But it would seem like he come off as more disrespectful than indifferent.

 _Speaking of, she still has my copy of_ Icha Icha Violence, Kakashi remembered. He briefly hoped she was enjoying it as much as he did. He read it twice in one night.

Mako didn't expect that answer. The confusion was evident from his furrowed brow. "Then what do you want?"

"I just want to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yes, just talk."

"…Why?"

It took Kakashi only a second to come up with an excuse, and already he was formulating ways to get any additional information as to what was going on.

"Because I know what you're going through."

* * *

 **Tribal Territories, Land of Iron**

Sen looked between a book of sealing translations and the scroll he recently stole from the monastery. It was a shame they had all stood in his way as he tried to find it in their library. Had they just left him alone, they wouldn't to have had to die.

But this one was by far the trickiest to translate. The visuals that accompanied the seal were enough to work out, and some of the accompanying text Sen had already encountered in previous scrolls he acquired.

Yet this sealing formula was an entirely different beast altogether.

"Humph… the Yagi clan certainly knew what they were doing," Sen remarked to himself as he continued making sense of the scroll.

The hours passed, but Sen was so engrossed in his work that he didn't realize how much time had passed when the candle by his desk went out, the wick completely burned to the stub.

"Damn…" he sighed, setting his pencil down and stretching out his hand to rid of some of the stiffness that had built up. "Just when I was on a roll, too." He was on the verge of breaking the formula for the ancient Tiger seal, too. I vital part of his plan.

Perhaps it was best if he took a break, anyway. His eyes were also beginning to burn from staring at his work for so long. Still, Sen was making progress, and that was enough to smile about.

He glanced up at an old painting that hung above his desk. It was a re-creation, something he had commissioned himself, but it never ceased to get Sen motivated to work when he gazed at it.

A male figure, draped in some of the finest robes and jewels, stood unfazed in black flames while hold a spear in one hand, and a sword in the other. His expression was calm, but there was a sense of anger in the figure's eyes. Something that promised revenge and retribution.

"Almost there, Lord Yama," Sen whispered, convinced that the figure in the painting could hear him. "Soon, you shall be released from your earthly prison, and save this forsaken world…"

 _Soon there will be doom upon the world, and life will be reborn from the ashes of black flame_.

* * *

Haruna was nothing less than relieved when the meeting finally came to an end. Though it had only taken an hour, Haruna felt like the minutes had ticked by at a pace that felt more like two hours. And she had to resist the urge to constantly yawn throughout.

Meetings bored her. Well, useless meetings did. And, in her mind, theirs was utterly pointless. A meeting called just to have her and Juzo apologize, and tell them they were momentarily suspended from work?

"They couldn't just say all that in a letter or memo?" Haruna muttered to herself as she made her way back to her apartment. She sighed, trying not to feel too sorry for herself, but it was hard not to. Haruna liked to think of herself as being better than the employee always getting chastised or yelled at for simple things.

But, as with all things in life, that was never the case.

Kicking off her sandals, Haruna stood in the doorway, giving a slight huff as she looked at the (still) unpacked boxes and bare, white walls. She had been meaning to make the place more homier, more livable. But between work and getting personally adjusted, it kept slipping her mind to finish unpacking some of the more smaller things. Although, with all this free-time she just acquired...

Taking off her jacket, Haruna rolled up her sleeves and made her way over to the first stack of boxes labeled "kitchenware."

"I'm tired of eating off of paper plates and take-out boxes, anyway," she said to herself, tapping her fingers on the cardboard.

Looking to her left, she ran a finger over the small dining table. Rubbing the tips of her index finger and thumb together, she frowned at the amount of dust that had been collected. Perhaps the whole apartment could do with a complete detailing...

* * *

People passing by the apartment building would slow their pace to look at the dust cloud floating out of one of the top floor rooms. Even the neighbors that lived on the same floor as Haruna looked out their doors to see what the whole commotion was.

Imagine their surprise seeing stacks of boxes and personal belongings to keep the front door popped open, or sitting in the middle of the hallway while a woman furiously beat the dust out of a futon and blanket.

"You ever see her before?" one neighbor asked, giving the person a quick side glance.

The other person shook their head before taking a judgemental sip of tea, "Nah, though I miss the quiet of this building already."

Haruna, too focused on the task at hand, completely ignored her neighbor's gossip and continued swatting at the futon. Despite having whacked at it for several minutes now, clouds of dust kept puffing out.

"I might as well just buy a new one at this point," Haruna gasped to herself, adjusting the mask on her face that kept her from inhaling the dust. Deciding to try again later, she propped it on the balcony railing so that the sun and fresh air could clean it out.

Splashing some water on the floor, Haruna got back to scrubbing the floor. Admittedly, Haruna had been lazy the first time she set to clean her new apartment. Mostly because she was so tired from traveling and working.

"Least I have something to do now…" Haruna mused, remember how her grandmother would always tell her it was better to have busy hands than idle ones.

Once Haruna could see her reflection in the floor, she gave the kitchen and bathroom one final polish and brought her belongings back inside to officially start unpacking.

Haruna quickly made use of the bookshelf near the couch in the small living room, categorizing the books she brought by size. Whatever shelf space that the books left were occupied by the small knickknacks she had collected over the years.

A large stone that had flecks of peridot in it, an antique vase from Grass Country, gifts from Kumaki and the other bears from Toudo Valley while she trained with them, and several other items dotted the spare corners of the bookshelf. On the top shelf, Haruna placed a few photos of her old squad and one of her genin during their official team portrait.

She paused when she pulled an old family photo, one where they all actually looked happy. Haruna smiled softly, but there was a sadness in her heart upon seeing the faces of her father and brother. Her brother, who was five at the time, was sitting in a chair and holding a 10 month old Haruna in his arms, looking like a proud big brother. Their parents looked equally as happy with the latest addition of their family.

Placing that in the center of the top shelf, Haruna shook off the lump that had grown in her throat and continued decorating. A few tasteful tapestries depicting nature scenes were hung up in and around the apartment, as well as several photos of landscapes and people Haruna took during her travels. She had even found a spot for her camera and lenses on another shelf in her bedroom.

By the end of the day, Haruna was completely unpacked and the apartment actually looked livable. The pine-y smell from the cleaner made her apartment feel fresh, which was certainly an added bonus.

Haruna swatted the futon and blankets a few more times, making sure they were as clean as they possibly could be, and placed them neatly in her bedroom. Walking through the whole of her apartment one more time, Haruna smiled happily, and crossed her arms.

"Home sweet home," she said. But in her frenzy, she had completely neglected to take a break and eat something. Her stomach growled loudly. "Guess now's a good time as any to go grocery shopping."

* * *

"Thank you, come again!" the cashier said as Haruna shuffled out of the small store, one of the few that was still left open as the others began closing. It was a little ways off from her apartment, but it was open 24/7 to accommodate the shinobi population of Konoha. For that, Haruna was willing to go out of her way to get the things she needed.

Though, at present, Haruna wished she had a third arm to help carry her groceries and other miscellaneous items back home. Not that she wasn't strong enough, but it was hard to walk in a straight line with so many bags hanging off your arms.

She readjusted herself and started making her way back. Haruna may have only taken five or six steps when someone called out, trying to get her attention.

"Ne, ne! Haru-chan!" Naruto waved. He and the pink-haired girl at his side trotted over to her. Haruna couldn't remember her name currently. It was something floral related… Haruno something-or-other?

"Oh, hello again," Haruna said politely.

"Do you need some help?" the pink-haired kunoichi offered. "You look like you're having some trouble."

Haruna shook her head, "Thank you, but I got this."

As if one cue, one of the bags started to rip and a tea cup Haruna purchased began to slip out. Naruto was quick to catch it, and held it delicately in his hands as he stood up.

"Okay, so some help would be appreciated," the ambassador chuckled. She offered them a few bags to carry, careful to not let anything else fall out. "Not that I'm not thankful for the Good Samaritan act, but you both don't have to help me. I'm sure one of you could manage."

"Yeah, but knowing Naruto, he's probably drop your things halfway. Someone has to keep an eye on him," the young girl smirked. Naruto pouted.

"That's not fair, Sakura-chan!"

 _Right, that was her name_ , Haruna realized. "Well, my apartment is a little ways off, so I hope you don't mind the walk."

"Not at all," Sakura replied, walking in stride with Haruna. "We kinda need something to do since things are a lot calmer in the village. You wouldn't happen to be the ambassador that wrecked the training grounds the other day, are you?"

Haruna winced, smiling sheepishly, "Is that my identifier now? I hope to fix that if I can."

Naruto's brows perked up, "Say… why did that happen? Granny Tsunade wouldn't tell us much."

After everything had settled down, and the two finished their tasks for the day, they flagged down Tsunade for more information. It seemed as if mentioning that triggered the Senju, and she went off on a complete tirade, complete with pyrotechnics.

But that was also where Sakura got a little more info on the Iwa ambassador, but only the very basics. Aside from the petty fight in the training grounds, Sakura thought Matsuno Haruna sounded like an amazing kunoichi.

"Why do you wanna know so bad?" Haruna asked, looking between the two.

"Is it that confidential?" Sakura asked. Haruna shrugged, adjusting the bags that hung from her arms once more.

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't think it's too much of consequence if I tell you," Haruna started. "Basically, the ambassador from Water Country was being an ass, so I made a bet with him. If I could beat him in a fight, then he would help with the refugee resettlement."

Sakura sweat dropped, _I thought adults were supposed to be more mature than that. Her she is picking fights with other ambassadors?_

"So did you win?" Naruto asked, not considering the whole ordeal immature at all. Haruna gave a laugh and lightly bobbed her head side-to-side, as if internally debating something.

"In a way I did," she said. "The Mizu ambassador agreed to taken in several thousand people, but we're both suspended for two weeks. After that, we'll be back on the job. So, I guess, it all worked out."

"Save for the suspension part," Sakura added matter-of-factly. Haruna nodded in agreement.

"I'm trying to be more positive. The way I see it, I still have my job, which is one of the main takeaways."

"Fair enough."

A few seconds of silence passed before they pulled up to Haruna's building. After some tricky maneuvering, Haruna used her hip to open the door wide enough for Naruto and Sakura to place the bags inside.

"Thank you both again for your help," Haruna chirped. "I'll buy you both dinner as a way to say thank you, whenever you like."

At that Naruto's eyes gleamed. He was a man who loved being fed. Even Sakura seemed happy at the idea of someone else paying for dinner.

"You are officially my favorite ambassador, Haru-chan!" Naruto gave her a thumb's up, and his smile threatened to tear his face in two.

"I think I'm the only ambassador you know, so I don't think that counts," Haruna laughed. He waved his hand, dismissing the comment.

"Think we could go now? I actually haven't eaten dinner yet…" Naruto asked, hands laced behind his head. Everyone's stomach began to growl on cue after he said that.

"Guess that settles it, then," Haruna smiled.

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay! I've been working a lot of odd hours, so my sleeping schedule is all kinds of messed up. Plus I wanted to get ahead with story with the other chapters i'm writing, hence the wait. Hopefully I can update more consistently. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Family Secrets

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." ― Leo Tolstoy, _Anna Karenina_

* * *

Ganza sat outside Daigo's bedchamber from across the hall, watching the silhouettes of the family servants pitter around through the shoji screen doors. They muttered in low voices, whispering to one another on what to fetch or do to make their master more comfortable before his… end.

Ganza, in an attempt to calm the anxiety building in the pit of his stomach, clenched Haruna's letter of rejection in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.

"He's getting worse, isn't he?" Mamoru asked from Ganza's right. Matsuno Mamoru was one of the most senior members of the family, and acted as Daigo's advisor on multiple occasions. Well-respected and trusted, Mamoru had helped Ganza become a legitimized member of the family just only yesterday.

But with the current leadership crisis befalling the clan, both men had traveled to the Matsuno compound to await the outcome of Daigo's health.

None were hopeful - not even Daigo's wife.

Ganza nodded, "He constantly fades in and out of consciousness. His mind will be sharp for an hour before regressing again the next. Each regression is worst than the last, too… not to mention they're lasting longer."

No doctor in Earth Country could name what it was exactly that caused Daigo's deteriorating mental state. But, whatever it was, it was obvious that the clan leader had very little time left. Coupled with the stroke Daigo suffered a few days ago, it was only a matter of time.

Mamoru looked down at Ganza's clenched fist, noticing the crumpled letter right away.

"From Takeshi's daughter?" Mamoru asked, to which Ganza only nodded. "She said no again?" Another nod, followed by a heavy silence.

"Did you see it?" Ganza asked after a minute or two of stillness.

"See what?"

"The will, of course." When Mamoru nodded, Ganza turned his head to glance at him. "And?"

"…Haruna is set to inherit everything," Mamoru replied uneasily, knowing full well the repercussions of what Daigo had done.

 _So the rumors were true_ , Ganza thought, but he cursed under his breath and turned his head back towards Daigo's chambers. Ganza was thankful that it was just him and Mamoru sitting across from Daigo's room for the time being.

"Prince Kenji will no doubt call for a Special Council to challenge his father's will."

Mamoru nodded in agreement but was quick to point something out, "The boy always was a problem. He gambled away nearly all of his father's money, led horrible campaigns against the Nagino family… It will be hard for his claim to be taken seriously."

"That may be true, but Haruna does not fair any better. Prince Kenji is still Daigo's legal heir," Ganza retorted. "She does hold much respect as a shinobi, but her and I have been considered illegitimate members of the family for years. That sort of stigma cannot change over night."

"But you recently change that for yourself," Mamoru countered. Which was true, Ganza had filed a motion to be considered a legal, legitimate member of the family, which after years of trying, finally turned out to be successful. He had tried to do the same for Haruna, but there was also the matter of her missing-nin brother, who still had yet to be found or captured since he defected from Iwagakure almost 20 years ago.

"Regardless of all that, Haruna is still considered a bastard. I have exhausted myself time and again trying to have her become legitimized," Ganza added. "None of the elders will stand for having a bastard as head of the family, honorable reputation or not."

"Oh? Tell that to Asuka. I hear she's changing the minds of Hisaya and Jiro," Mamoru scoffed. Ganza could only groan in frustration as a response.

It was a shitty situation no matter how the two men looked at it.

Prince Kenji, Daigo's eldest son, was considered an irresponsible and arrogant playboy that on multiple occasions, sullied the family's good name with the scandals he brought upon himself.

There was also the option of Yasu, Daigo's youngest son, as well as his two daughters, but none were considered serious choices, due to the fact that they were considered more Kusaragi than Matsuno. Daigo had re-married after his first wife, Prince Kenji's mother, died of a fever not long after giving birth.

When it came to how "thick" their blood was, it was between Prince Kenji and Haruna, both decedents of the Matsuno family's main branch founder, as to who would lead the clan next. None wanted to see Prince Kenji lead the family to ruin, but they weren't none too pleased with the idea of a bastard taking the helm, either.

"What about from her grandmother's family?" Mamoru was thinking aloud at this point, but Ganza seemed to catch on as to what the former was thinking of. Ganza had also considered using that point when petitioning Haruna to become legitimized, but refrained as it was still a tightly kept secret.

Ganza's brow furrowed in thought, "Maybe… but I want to save that as a last resort."

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Mamoru hissed, looking at Ganza as if he spontaneously sported a second head. "That piece of her lineage could make all the difference with this power vacuum Daigo created…!"

Ganza gave Mamoru a hard, knowing look and it took a moment for the latter to process the message Ganza was trying to convey. Mamoru's expression softened in realization, his eyes slowly going wide.

"She still doesn't know," he whispered.

Ganza nodded, "Lady Setsuko never told her, nor did she ever want to tell her grandchildren about their lineage. I have respected Lady Setsuko's wishes, and will continue to do so until she says otherwise."

"Then you need to talk to her," Mamoru replied a little too quickly. "If Haruna's case stands any chance at all against Prince Kenji's bid as head of the clan, she and the rest of the family need to know, Ganza-san."

As much as Ganza hated it, he knew Mamoru had a point. He sighed, conceding as he stood up, and straightened out the wrinkles his robes that formed from sitting on his knees for so long. Mamoru also stood up, and the two men made their way out of the main house.

"I will summon Lady Setsuko here and we can explain the situation to her," Ganza said once they were out near the main gate entrance. The kamon of the Matsuno family painted on each door towered over them. Both men bowed to one another as they prepared to depart.

"How angry do you think she'll be?" Mamoru asked.

"Haruna or Lady Setsuko?"

"Both."

"…I expect the two of them will level the entire Matsuno compound, and maybe the Kusaragi district by extension."

"Should I forewarn Lord Nobutoki, then?"

"That's probably for the best."

As Ganza and Mamoru took their separate ways, the former also considered letting the Tsuchikage know. He could very soon lose his top kunoichi all to a game of political chess.

* * *

Shikamaru looked over the notes Kakashi complied after speaking to Mako on and off for the past 72 hours. It was amazing how much information he managed to get, as well as additional information the shinobi from Suna provided from their initial investigation. When Shikamaru had asked how Kakashi worked so much out of Mako, the latter merely shrugged and said that empathy went a long way.

According to Mako, Sen, the one-armed perpetrator, had already struck the other monastery locations as they had lost communication with their sister temples for weeks now. It was suspicious, but no one would have guessed their brothers were being slaughtered all for a few ancient scrolls.

Using a map, Mako had given approximate locations as to where the other temples were located. Mako informed them that Sen had attacked every single one, including the one in Fire Country. That had thrown all for a loop.

"How could we not have noticed that? Or been alerted?" Hoheto asked, looking over the map again.

"Lady Tsunade most likely knew, but wanted to keep it under wraps," Shikamaru said. "There must have been something of great importance tucked away in these places. Otherwise, why keep it all a secret?"

 _This hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper_ , Kakashi thought.

"If this 'Sen' person was after a scroll at this temple's location," Hoheto laid out the map in front of his team, and pointed to the dot Mako drew within Wind Country, "then it should be safe to say that he was after any similar ones in the Great Shinobi Countries."

"And we still don't know what's in those scrolls, do we?" Shikamaru turned to Kakashi, who merely shook his head.

"That was the one thing I couldn't get Mako to budge on," Kakashi replied. "He said it was too dangerous to talk about it so freely. I doubt Lady Tsunade or any of the other Kage will share that information so freely, either, should the situation change at all."

"Speaking of, I heard Lord Gaara left for the Land of Iron late last night for a Kage Summit," Hoheto added. "Most likely to discuss our findings here, and ones from the other investigations taking place."

"How do you know that?" Kakashi asked.

"I overheard a few of his personal on my way here," Hoheto replied. "If all these monasteries have indeed been attacked as the monk claims, then it is cause of some concern for the Kage. It could be a rogue ninja from any of their countries looking to start trouble again."

"If that's the case, we need to send these to Gaara right away," Shikamaru said, gathering all the papers into a pile. "I wouldn't put it pass this 'Sen' guy to start making more moves soon."

* * *

Tsunade sat uneasily in her chair as she listened to A discuss his shinobi's findings from their own monastery attack. Her were fingers folded together, and she clenched them tightly to help with the sinking feeling she had that made her leg bounce nervously.

The news A was sharing was not good.

"Judging by how grim all your faces look, I think I can safely assume these other temples have also been attacked in your countries as well," A said, sitting back down. All the other Kage nodded sullenly, and Onoki was the second one to speak.

"These attacks have clearly been carried out by one person, and we know they have been hunting a specific type of scroll. We are still trying to ascertain as to which ones specifically, but initial reports suggests it deals with some sort of sealing formula.

"A few other scrolls have gone missing from the temple in my country, as well. Most dealing in old legends regarding two people named Yama and Sunita. It was scrolls that specifically talked about these two figures that were taken. We are not yet sure as to why this is."

 _Strange_ , Tsunade thought. _What connection could be there, I wonder?_

"I believe the culprit my have also had help in carrying out one of these attacks," Tsunade added. "The attack on the monastery in Fire Country was inconsistent with the ones in Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Water countries."

"Either way, there have been no survivors, so we have no idea as to what the suspect looks like," Mei chimed in.

"One managed to survive," Gaara brought up. All other Kage turned to look at him. "I received some troubling information just before this meeting began. In working together with a small team of shinobi Lady Tsunade was kind enough to send, we were able to uncover the name of the person committing these crimes. Are any of your familiar with a male shinobi named 'Sen'?"

All the Kage shook their heads, but Mei scooted closer to the table. "This survivor… did he give a description as to what Sen looked like?" When Gaara nodded, there was a mutual, very quiet, shared sigh of relief.

"Finally, some good news," A grunted.

As Gaara began describing the man Mako saw, all the Kage looked puzzled as they tried to figure out if that could have been anyone in their ranks at any time; a man in his mid to late 30s, around 179 centimeters tall, pale with a full black beard with the same colored hair pulled into a ponytail, pale colored eyes, and a missing right arm from the elbow down.

When Gaara got to the part of the missing right arm, Onoki felt his left eyebrow slightly twitch. That sinking feeling Tsunade had throughout the entire meeting began creeping into his joints (which wasn't good for his arthritis).

While all the other Kage said that they had never seen such a person in their life before, it was Onoki who awkwardly cleared his throat. All eyes were on him now, and he had the decency to look ashamed. A narrowed his eyes questioningly at how pale Onoki looked.

The old man bowed his head in shame, "I think I may know who has been attacking the temples…"

* * *

It took all of Sen's will to not set his notes on fire.

When he thought he had uncovered a major breakthrough in translating the scroll from Wind Country, he became dismayed at the glaring inconsistencies that kept popping up. He cross-referenced all his other translations, double-checked and triple-checked his findings, only to have the same mistakes till pop up, causing dread fill his stomach.

He didn't want to admit it, but the scroll he took from Wind Country was a fake.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Sen punched the wall with every curse. He kept his fist glued to the wall as he caught his breath. Slowly, he took a step back, flexing and unflexing his hand to ease the soreness in his knuckles. He ignored the blood and raked his hand through his hair.

The thought of starting all over from scratch was none too appealing, but there had to be a way to find the real scroll to complete the next phase of his plan.

Desperately, Sen shuffled through all the books and scrolls he had nearby, but couldn't find anything useful. He growled and threw various miscellaneous items, from pencils to his desk chair, across his small room to vent out his anger till he collapsed on the floor.

Sen didn't know for how long he sat there, breathing heavily as he tried to come up with a solution to his problem. He thought back to all the clan names that switched hands with the scrolls and various canons over the millennia, trying to notice any blips in the timeline. It was possible he had overlooked something in his research.

"The Yagi clan, perhaps?" he mused to himself. "No, no… they gave it to the Zaizen eventually after they perfected the sealing formula… where did the Zaizen live again?"

Crawling back up to his desk, Sen grabbed a pencil from the floor, and outlined a makeshift map of the various shinobi countries, drawing circles and writing family names above the dots before connecting them with lines that zig-zagged across the page. Water Country, to Lightning, then Earth…

 _Where the hell did the real scroll go, and why was it moved so much?_ Sen thought. He caught himself, though, realizing he knew he was asking himself a stupid question. He knew why, or at least had a couple theories as to why. But it wasn't the same as actually knowing the truth.

"Zaizen to Edano," he muttered, setting his pencil down to grab a book he knew would help. Flipping to the page he was looking for, Sen grabbed his pencil again and continued to connect the dots. "Edano to Hashizume…"

The list of family names continued to grow more and more, and Sen was starting to feel like a chicken with its head cut off, just running around mindlessly. That is until a clan symbol popped out at him like a slap to the face.

"I'm such an idiot," Sen quietly berated himself. "Why didn't I pay more attention to this?"

Senju. The scroll has been with the Senju clan for over 100 years before switching hands to the Matsuno family about 20 years before the founding of the Hidden Villages. If it was that recent, however…

Sen's heart leapt into his throat when he circled the area where the Earth Country capital was. He would need to make a visit to the Matsuno family compound, it seemed. "It must still be there."

But that also begged the question: what was it doing there in the first place, and why wasn't the real scroll in the Earth Country monetary library like the others had been?

* * *

Setsuko Matsuno was many things: a highly respected kunoichi, a master of different sealing techniques, a stubborn woman with an incredibly foul temper, a devoted grandmother. Unbeknownst to most people, however, she carried a heavy secret with her about her family's heritage. One she had been carrying for the past 86 years of her life.

And now Ganza, the daimyo of Earth Country, wanted her to divulge that secret. Needless to say, she was livid.

"I will not do such a thing, Ganza! How dare you ask that of me after you promised never to tell Haru, or Goro! You said your word was your vow!"

"Lady Setsuko," Ganza started in a calm voice, "I understand how betrayed you must feel, but circumstance within the family have called for - "

"You mean the same family that spat on my son, and his children, for all their lives?" Setsuko replied icily. "Congratulations on becoming legitimized, by the way. Does Haruna know? She's going to be very hurt, you know."

The back-handedness of her comment was not lost on Ganza, and while he bristled at Setsuko's comment, he continued on.

"My Lady, I can understand how poorly you must think of me at this moment, but Lord Daigo has left everything, and I do mean _everything_ , in your granddaughter's name. I have done what I can to have Haru become legitimized, but the Elders will not budge. You must confess your lineage to them as a way to give Haruna more power in her petition to not only become legitimized, but to also become head of the clan."

Setsuko scoffed, "Don't be a fool, Ganza. You know as well as I do Haru would rather chew sand than lead this viper's nest of a family."

"I think we are both well aware of that, Lady Setsuko, but none of the Elders wish to see Prince Kenji lead this family, either, knowing he will lead us into ruin. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place with Haru and Prince Kenji. If you were to only just - "

"Just what, Ganza? Hmm? Go on and share the very same secret that made me a target all my life? That made me see my entire village destroyed in a day?"

 _The gall of this man!_ Setsuko berated Ganza in her head.

"It would help to stabilize the situation," Ganza offered. Setsuko scoffed again.

"Perhaps if Daigo did a better job at raising his son, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. I will not be the one to clean up Daigo's mess, Ganza! I will _not_!"

Ganza was getting tired of going around in circles, and it was showing on his face. "We cannot keep dealing in hypotheticals, Lady Setsuko. Should Lord Daigo have paid more attention to his son? Yes, no one disputes that. Is Haruna the best person to lead this family politically? No, she's a better kunoichi than politician.

"But even you must admit that your granddaughter is the best hope for this family. She redeemed our family's name during the Great War, saved your son, her _father's_ reputation, and is trying to better the name of Iwagakure by being an ambassador to Konohagakure.

"Everything she has done, has been in the service of others, which is more than can be said for Prince Kenji. Please, Lady Setsuko, this could be Haruna's chance to finally gain the full respect of the whole clan. Isn't that what you've always wanted for her?"

Setsuko's face remained impassive, even as Ganza spoke pleadingly to her. He did strike a chord, however, as much as Setsuko didn't want to admit it. Haruna, her precious granddaughter, was Setsuko's whole world. And all she wanted for Haruna was to be respected not only as a kunoichi, but also as a lady.

Haruna did gain respect in the places that mattered more; her comrades, students, teachers and friends, even the Tsuchikage, all held Haruna in high regard. That was more than enough for Setsuko to be happy with. She hated the Matsuno family in their treatment of her son and grandchildren. She thought the clan to be poisonous, a haven for liars and cheaters. But Setsuko knew her granddaughter to be an idealist.

Haruna had confessed to her grandmother on multiple occasions while she was growing up that she wanted to change the family for the better. One of Haruna's more endearing traits was how often she believed in people, and how if she tried hard enough, could change their minds. It appeared that Ganza seemed to believe that Haruna could do the very same to the family, too, given how strong he had been petitioning for Haruna to become head of the family.

Setsuko would never let go of her contempt for the Matsuno clan, but her love for Haruna, and strong belief that her granddaughter could change the family's politics for the better, far outweighed Setsuko's hate and anger.

"You forget, Ganza, that this is your family, not mine," Setsuko began. "I married into this family because I had nowhere else to go." Her knees popped when she stood up, and Setsuko softly groaned at the ache that had built up. She walked towards the window, looking down at the family photo of her son, his wife, their two children, and her.

 _Haruna, try not to be too angry with your silly, old grandmother,_ Setsuko thought with a sigh.

"But this is my late husband's family, Takeshi's family, and Haruna's, so therefore it is also mine, if not by blood. I will… tell the Elders, and Haruna, the truth. If you really think it will help, then I agree to your terms, Ganza."

The daimyo at that point would have kissed Setsuko out of pure gratefulness, but instead gave a sigh of relief, rose from his seat, and bowed deeply in thanks.

"You have no idea just how thankful I am, Lady Setsuko."

"Hmm, no I can tell. Your tone gives you away," she turned away from the window and squared her shoulders back. "I only have two conditions."

 _Of course she does_ , Ganza thought. He knew it just wouldn't be that easy with a stubborn woman like Setsuko.

"I will tell the Elders myself, as I think it best they hear it from me. They will want proof, which I have."

Ganza nodded in agreement, "And your second condition?"

"I want to travel to Konoha and tell Haruna in person the situation, as well as… well, you know. I know her best, and even though she thinks highly of you as her uncle, I know she will handle the news better if I tell her."

Considering how Ganza had been hounding Haruna to come home in his letters, he couldn't help but agree to Setsuko's wish to tell Haru in person. But Setsuko was going to be 87 next month, and Ganza couldn't help but be concerned if she could handle the trip.

"Would you like me to arrange travel arrangements so that the trip is more comfortable for you, My Lady?"

"Do not insult me, Ganza!" Setsuko joked heartily, grinning from ear-to-ear. "I may be old, but I am still an Uzumaki! There is still some life in me yet!"

* * *

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" A shouted, smacking the circular table with his large hands. His voice boomed throughout the room, though none of the Kage shook in their seats. Everyone, except for Onoki, those from their chairs in case A was ready to start a fight. Which was almost always.

"Would you please lower your voice, Lord A?" Onoki asked calmly.

"How could I possibly remain calm?!" A fired back. The whole situation gave everyone a sense of deja vu, like the whole situation was reverting back to how tense things were between their countries before the Great War.

A pointed to Onoki, "This man has created a situation, of which we have no idea how to handle, because of his war-mongering ways over 20 years ago! If it weren't for his carelessness and - !"

"Lord Raikage, please! Get a hold of yourself!" Tsunade shouted. "I thought we had all agreed to let past grudges go!"

A gritted his teeth while giving Tsunade a hard look. Taking a deep breath, A and the other Kage sat down back in their seats.

"How positive are you that this is Sen's real identity, Lord Tsuchikage?" Mei asked.

"In all honestly, I'm not very confident," Onoki replied, "But I can't shake the feeling that that's who Sen really is. Call it an old man's intuition."

"I can show the picture to the monk currently in our care and see if he can confirm Sen's identity," Gaara offered. "Hopefully it will disprove your suspicions, Lord Tsuchikage."

"For all our sakes, I certainly hope so," Onoki replied.

* * *

 **A/N:** We're getting closer and closer to figuring out who Sen really is, and dun dun! Haruna is 1/4 Uzumaki! Considering the clan went through a diaspora after Uzushiogakure collapsed, I didn't think it too far fetched for Haruna to have a semi-distant family member be an Uzumaki. If the series is any indication, then they spread themselves out all over the place. Anywho, thanks for reading!

Expect Kakashi and Haruna to interact more in the next chapter!


	7. Princess Matsuno

"Friendship is really the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love." ― Jane Austen, _Northanger Abbey_

* * *

Haruna lightly sipped at her cup of tea while Ikue chatted away about the continued on-goings in the office. Truth be told, Haruna was only half listening as she didn't particularly care what the ambassador from Grass Country did to upset the Fire Daimyo in some half-baked negation plans. It seemed Kaname was also disinterested, but it was a little hard to tell since his neutral expression was boredom.

"In any case, I think they reached an understanding," Ikue said as she finished her story. She paused to eat a dango, but spoke with her mouth half full. "So that's really the only interesting thing that's going on in the office. Things are so quiet without you, Haru-chan, starting fights and stuff."

Hearing her name, Haruna, in pretending she hadn't been disassociating throughout most of the conversation, dead-panned when she mentally caught up to the jab Ikue gave her. The Suna nin looked to be unfazed by it, and happily stuffed another dango from the skewer in her mouth. Kaname, however, hid a smirk behind his cup as he took a sip of his tea.

"I'm surprised I'm missed at all," Haruna said, taking another sip of tea. "I would think Lady Tsunade appreciates the quiet since Juzo and I are on suspension." Ikue and Kaname gave each other a look before both smiled knowingly.

"I think she misses venting to someone who agrees with her on most subjects more than anything," Kaname replied. Haruna made a small noise of agreement.

During their one-on-one meetings, Tsunade surprised Haruna by how much they agreed on certain issues within the shinobi world, especially with how women were often treated by their higher-ups.

"Not gonna lie, I miss having those conversations, too. They were always entertaining to a degree," Haruna said. Ikue clucked and shook her head disbelievingly.

"Oh! It's not that bad, is it?" she asked, leaning forward in her seat. "I was never treated too badly by the jounin in Sunagakure while I was a chunin."

"You clearly haven't spent any time in ANBU," Haruna was quick to say. Ikue puffed out a cheek and shook her head. She had never been considered for any position in Suna's ANBU corps; it went against her natural cheery disposition.

Kaname, on the other hand, had some experience in working with Kumo's ANBU, but had never become an official member. Mostly due to his complete disinterest. He had seen how some of the captains spoke to their female colleagues.

"Mah, mah! This is getting too depressing!" Ikue said, trying to turn the conversation to a better topic. She stuffed the last dango from her skewer in her mouth. "What've you been up to these past few days? Not beating up anymore people, I hope."

Haruna gave a sarcastic laugh, but that was offset by the smirk on her face, "Settling in, mostly, meeting some of the locals. That, and getting back into my photography."

"Oh! You're a photographer?" Ikue asked.

"Eh… yes and no? I mostly picked it up as a hobby whenever I had free time. It helped when I got bored. Been doing it on and off for several years now. I don't really consider myself a professional, by any means."

Haruna's response didn't seem to deter Ikue, as the latter began flinging questions as to what sort of photos the former specialized in ("Outdoor, mostly. Like landscapes and stuff."), and if she considered ever going professional ("Maybe? Once I retire from shinobi work?").

The conversation then continued on to upcoming visits the other ambassadors were expecting, which lead to a discussion on possible visits back home, which lead to the other ambassadors making a promise (mostly on Ikue's end) to try and schedule a trip together once they accrued enough vacation time.

" If Haru stays off probation, that is," Kaname teased. Haruna looked unamused as she held her cup of tea in her hand, while Ikue playfully smacked his shoulder.

"Keep this up and I might punch you, too, Kaname-kun," Haruna joked, partially. The joke of Haruna being suspended was starting wear off on its charm very quickly. The two continued to banter, with Ikue occasionally stepping in to calm things down, but all three could tell it was in good fun. For the most part. Haruna was never a fan of being teased.

Movement out of the corner of her right eye caused Haruna to slowly turn her head to glance out onto the street. Ikue and Kaname continued talking while Haruna's eyes followed Kakashi, and two other jounin she vaguely recognized, heading towards the Hokage building. It had been about five days since she had last seen him.

Probably coming back from a mission or something , Haruna thought, turning her attention back to Ikue and Kaname to join in on the conversation again. But the two gave Haruna matching, cheeky smirks. They even held their chins in their hands, pretending to look all dewy-eyed as they batted their eyelashes. Haruna got the vague sense they were making fun of her. Again.

"What?" Haruna frowned, trying to watch the snappiness of her tone.

"Someone got excited," Kaname said in a sing-songy voice. Ikue nodded vigorously in agreement, but Haruna scoffed at the both of them.

"Excited over what?" Haruna finished her cup of tea and stuffed a dango in her mouth.

"My guess is a certain silver-haired jounin?" Ikue hummed. The caused the latter to nearly choke on her dumpling.

"Come again?" Haruna said between coughs. Kaname reached over and patted Haruna's back to help with any food that may have gotten lodged.

"I mean, that Hyuga guy was pretty cute, but he doesn't strike me as your type - "

"My type ?" Haruna spoke over Ikue, but the latter continued on. Haruna silently nodded her thanks to Kaname when he retracted his arm back to his side of the table.

"The third one was much too young for you. So that leads me to believe that was it the silver-haired dude you were looking at, right?"

Haruna scowled, but could've sworn her face began feeling hot. Maybe it was just the tea that made her feel warm...

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Hatake-san and I are colleagues, and we barely know each other. Nothing more than that."

"Oh, please!" Ikue scoffed with a shit-eating grin. "As soon as he walked by, your head turned so fast I thought it might fall off. And that dewy look you had in your eyes! Not that I blame you, he is really pretty to look at, or at least from what you can see of his face. Is he the one you talk to on the rooftops? He is, isn't he?"

Kaname made a noise, his own way of saying that sounded about right. Haruna rolled her eyes at the both of them, ignored how hotter her face felt, and cleared her throat by taking a sip of Ikue's tea. But Ikue continued in a sing-songy voice, seeing how Haruna's ears were turning red, "Ohh~! Someone's hot for - _ah_!"

The Iwa nin had reached over and flicked Ikue on the nose. Kaname snickered as he finished his plate of dango, while Ikue gently rubbed the tip of nose.

"That wasn't very nice, Haru-chan," Ikue pouted.

"I don't like being teased," she replied simply.

"I'm sorry if I took it too far, but you didn't have to flick my nose like that," Ikue sighed. Haruna shrugged, wrapping her coat tighter around her as a small gust cold wind brushed by.

"I'll buy you a bottle of hot sake to make it up to you. Will that make you feel better?"

Ikue wanted to argue that she couldn't be bought with food, but then she really thought how she missed Suna style barbecue. And how great it paired with a nice bottle of hot sake.

I'm far too easy for my own good , Ikue bemoaned in her head. "Can you throw in some barbecue, too?" Ikue asked cautiously. Haruna thought over it for a moment, and as fan of grilled meats, she saw no downside to treating Ikue to barbecue. Because that meant she could also have some.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Haruna softly smiled. "Would you care to join us, Kaname? The more the merrier!" Haruna hoped he heard the her silent plea of: please don't leave me alone with Ikue . Her subtle plea was left unheard.

Kaname couldn't help himself when he said, "You sure you don't wanna invite that Hatake guy?" The smirk on his face grew when he saw the exasperated look on Haruna's face. She was so fun to tease because she took it so seriously.

"You both suck," Haruna huffed, slamming a few bills on the table to pay for her share of the meal. "You're both a bunch of assholes, and I'm leaving. I hope the rest of your day goes by so slowly that you die of boredom!"

Kaname and Ikue sniggered to one another, watching Haruna stomp out of the dango shop.

"Don't be too upset, Haru-chan!" Ikue called. "Be happy that your boyfriend is back!"

"He is **not** my boyfriend!" Haruna yelled over her shoulder, repressing the urge to conjure up a water ball and splash some cold water in their faces.

Pulling her coat tighter around her, Haruna tried to remind herself not to take Ikue and Kaname's teasing to heart. It was all in good fun, even if she didn't feel that way. Besides, Haruna was starting to consider them friends, and poking fun at one another was what best signaled the signs of a good friendship, right?

"I shouldn't take that so seriously, but I'm definitely going to find a way to get back at them later," Haruna muttered to herself. Opening her bag, Haruna reached in to grab her gloves, but her fingers brushed against the spine of Icha Icha Tactics .

Holding the book in one hand, and her gloves in the other, Haruna lightly tapped the book cover with her finger. She wanted to return Kakashi his book, especially now that he was back in the village, but he was likely to be caught up in the Hokage's office for a while.

Haruna wasn't sure if she should step inside the building. She hadn't been banned outright, but she had a strong feeling that Tsunade wouldn't be too pleased to see her. There was the option of waiting outside the building, but the sun was starting to set, and with it, the temperature was getting colder.

"If I happen to see him, I'll give him his book back then," Haruna decided, putting the book back into her bag before pulling her gloves on, rushing down the down the street to get back to the warmth of her apartment.

* * *

Mako eyes were glued to the miniature portrait in his hand. Fury boiled in his chest, and his palms began to sweat and shake. He wasn't sure if the pounding in his chest was his heartbeat, or the blood rushing in his ears. Maybe it was both.

"This is him," Mako's voice trembled, but there was an edge in his tone that made him sound eerily calm. "This is the one who attacked the monastery…" He handed the photo back to Baki, the man who had been accommodating Mako ever since the latter arrived in Sunagakure.

Baki pocketed the photo and nodded in thanks to Mako, "Thank you, again, for your continued cooperation, Mako-san."

 _I didn't have much of a choice_ , Mako replied in head, but replied instead with, "I want to see this man brought to justice for killing my brothers. I am more than happy to help." Baki nodded and motioned for the chunin standing outside the room to take come in. The jounin murmured to send word to the Kazekage about the I.D. being confirmed. The chunin nodded, and quickly left the room.

Once the door closed, Mako cleared his throat to grab Baki's attention, "What happens next? Can you tell me anything about the man that killed my brothers?" Baki turned to face Mako head on.

"I cannot tell you much about the suspect. Only that he defected from Iwagakure about 17 years ago, and was labeled as a missing-nin since then. He was never labeled as a criminal since he never committed crimes against the Hidden Villages, but he is a powerful shinobi. Now that you have confirmed the identification of the attacker, you will be transferred to the Shinobi Union's headquarters in the Land of Iron for better protection."

"Protection?" Mako echoed, a dark brow arched. "Am I not safe here?"

"There is a chance this man could come after you, as a way to get rid of any… 'loose ends,'" Baki replied carefully. "We would like to prevent that, if possible, hence your transfer. Me and a small, armed guard will escort you to the Land of Iron to make sure you arrive there safely."

"When was this organized?" Mako asked, none too thrilled that he was heading to a place he had never been to. He had just finally gotten used to his hospital room, and was starting to wrap his head around what had happened to him almost a week and a half ago.

"The Kage all agreed to this in the event you confirmed the I.D. of the attacker," Baki explained calmly. Mako nodded slowly, reluctantly coming to terms with everything. It took a few minutes for him to fully accept his circumstance. He felt powerless about his whole situation, and Mako hoped that he could do something to bring Sen to justice.

"So… when do we leave?"

"Tonight. I would start preparing now, if I were you. It's a long journey."

* * *

Sen finished writing the rest of the sealing formula with the blood he pricked from his thumb. Stepping back carefully, as to not smear his writing, he kneeled at the edge of his study, one of the few spots that wasn't covered in ancient scribbles.

Finishing the last characters with a flourish, Sen tip-toed to the center of the room. Standing carefully in the center of a small, triangular symbol, Sen formed a series of hand seals and watched as the letters glowed an odd shade of purple, moving and collecting into different shapes in the center of his study. Funneling more chakra into the summoning, Sen braced himself against the gust of wind that rose from the center of the seal, one that threatened to knock him clean onto his back.

After several minutes, five large komainu stepped forward, growling and snapping at one another.

"Hello, brothers…" a deep, growling voice echoed. None of the creatures' mouths moved, however. "It has been a long time since any of us have been summoned like this."

"I agree. It has been quite a few millennia, hasn't it?" another equally dark voice said.

One of the komainu spotted Sen and snarled back their lips, growing and looking ready to take the man's head into its jaws. "This human has a foulness about them… How could something as weak as a human possibly call on us?!"

Standing up, Sen formed a seal with his hand that made the komainu fold one front paw in some sort of bowing gesture in front of him. The growls and barks intensified, but Sen looked utterly unfazed while he lowered his hand.

"Strong for a human," the first voice growled.

"You, the vessels of Yama, I require your assistance." Two of the komainu canted their heads to the side at the mention of their old master. "I plan on reviving him, so that the sins of the world may be erased and life can start anew. However, I am missing a key component in His resurrection, and I require your assistance."

"How dare you, human! Thinking you can control someone as powerful as Lord Yama? You take His name in vain!" the fourth voice growled between barks so loud they threatened to shake the very walls down.

"Rest assured, gentle beast, I have no intention of controlling Lord Yama. I aim to be His vessel in this world, so that the world may be reborn from ash and smoke. He is the heavenly phoenix that must be freed from his cage."

The komainu continued to growl and snap their jaws at Sen, but some looked calm and contemplative. "Why does this human require our help? You seem to know a great deal already..."

"I need your help because I have been led astray in my search for justice. The last scroll I need to find Lord Yama's resting place and summoning location is located within the vault of a powerful family, and I cannot go alone. It is with humility that I seek your help in retrieving this vital piece."

One of the calmer, more massive komainu stepped forward and towered over Sen as he looked down upon him. Sen felt a twinge of fear that he might indeed be swallowed whole, but the creature merely looked down on him curiously.

The dog-lion took a deep sniff from Sen before rendering judgement. "This human speaks the truth, brothers. He would see our master live again." The other komainu reluctantly conceded and gathered around the leader of the pack.

"So… you will help me, then?"

The pack leader nodded. "We will. But know this: we expect you to keep your end of this bargain, human. If you do not… we will eat you."

* * *

Haruna looked over the different books for sale, flipping through the pages and reading the back covers to get a sense of what the books were about. With having a sudden amount of free time on her hands, Haruna found herself constantly bored. It was nearing the end of her first week on suspension, and she was literally marking the days in her calendar till she could go back to work.

Having read through all the books she brought with her from Iwa, and preparing her meals for the next several days, Haruna lazed on the couch as she considered what she should do to help pass the time. She figured buying more books would help with her boredom, since it was getting too chilly to wander around and take photos.

Some flashy cover for a cheesy romance novel caught her eye, and Haruna picked up the display copy.

"'She that Brought Down the Heavens'?" Haruna read aloud. Horrible cover art aside, Haruna opened to the first page and read the opening passage.

" _The leaves that had fallen off the trees filled the small, farming town with a horrible, decaying smell, but the brilliance of their different colors made the smell tolerable at best on a good days when a clean wind passed through._

 _Minami had been tasked with clearing the family garden of the discarded brambles and pine needles that littered her parents garden with the onset of the sudden cold. Her hands were covered in muck by the end, but Minami loved the feeling of earth between her fingers and under her nails. It made her feel real in every way a person could feel as if they were alive_."

Haruna, finding herself becoming more and more interested in the story, decided to buy the cheesy romance novel, plus a few others to help fill her time. After making her purchase, Haruna continued reading as she made her way back home, bobbing and weaving around the crowd as they walked past her.

Coming out of a three-quarter turn, Haruna ducked into a slightly quieter street, though it seemed more like an alleyway given the narrowness of the road. At least there were less people here, so she felt more comfortable walking and reading at the same time. After finishing the first chapter, Haruna marked her spot and snapped the book shut, wanting to save the rest of the story for when she got home.

Reshuffling her bags in her hands, Haruna quickened her pace when a burst of cold air smacked her in the face. Her cheeks felt like something was nipping at them, and Haruna rubbed her face to rid herself of the feeling. Idly, she looked to her right and saw the entrance to a large graveyard. She easily spotted Kakashi's stock of silver hair standing above one of the graves further inside the property.

The way his shoulder slumped seemed so… solemn, somber even. Haruna thought Kakashi looked as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. She lightly bit on the corner of her lip, wondering if she should approach him, let alone say something. Was that even allowed in their strange relationship? Would that be something he even wanted, let alone from someone like her?

Most likely not, and Haruna had a feeling that that was the case. She still felt like a stranger to him sometimes, even when at the same time there was this odd sensation of intimacy between them.

So close, and yet still so far.

Haruna made to turn and leave, but Kakashi calling out stopped her before she could take a step forward. "Wait up for me. There's something I want to ask you." Slowly making his way from the grave he was paying his respects to, Kakashi casually walked towards Haruna, who waited patiently for him at the bottom of the steps.

"Everything okay?" Haruna asked when he was a few steps away. Kakashi didn't respond right away, but he didn't have to. The heaviness that had pulled down his shoulders was still there, despite an effort to look less bothered. Haruna tried to convince herself that maybe that was his natural state of being. He always had a slumped posture ever since she had known him.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Kakashi replied, hands digging into his pockets. "I was thinking about something, though…"

"That's a dangerous pastime," Haruna joked with a small smirk, to which Kakashi lightly chuckled. She couldn't help but feel proud that she got him to smile, even if it was a tiny one.

 _Mission accomplished_ , Haruna thought. "So… what did you want to ask me?"

Kakashi was a little floored by the warmth in Haruna's eyes. It made the yellow flecks in her green eyes more prominent, but it was just now that Kakashi realized that her eyes were more hazel in color than green. Why was he just noticing this now? He was a master of observation, wasn't he? No… he had noticed before. He just didn't care at the time.

Her kind smile made her whole presence exude a warmth that cut through the cold and into his being. Noticing that he had been staring at her for a few seconds too long, Kakashi quickly recovered. "Did you like the book?"

"Hmm? Oh! The newest Icha Icha you mean?" For some reason, Haruna thought Kakashi had been referring to the book she had just been reading. "Yes, I did! I think I still prefer the first installment, though. It just felt more romantic than this one." As she spoke, Haruna brought out her borrowed copy and handed it back to Kakashi. "The drama was much more exciting in this novel, I will say. Thank you so much for letting me borrow it."

Under his mask, Kakashi felt the corner of his lips gently tug upwards as he pocketed the book. "I'm glad you liked it. And I agree, the drama and action are much better in Tactics than Paradise ."

"At least this one didn't end in a cliffhanger like the last one, but there really wasn't a clear ending either. Did that bother you at all when you first read it?" The two had started walking in no particular direction, but enjoyed having a delightful conversation about their favorite series much more. They did eventually find their way to the centre of the village.

"A little, but I liked imagining my own ending. Sometimes an ambiguous ending is nice, don't you think?"

"Maybe? Depends on how the story is presented. I prefer a nice, definite ending. Ambiguity makes me anxious," Haruna chuckled at her own silliness.

"I can see why, and there is an appeal in a proper conclusion; makes the story feel more complete."

"Exactly! For me, at least, it makes finishing the book all the more better," Haruna grinned from ear-to-ear at Kakashi.

 _She has a nice smile_ , Kakashi thought in the back of his mind. He was about to change the conversation to a different topic, but the duo were stopped when a ruffled looking manservant skidded in front of them, panting heavily. Once he spotted Haruna, he quickly bowed deeply. Dread began to fill her stomach.

"Lady Haruna! Thank the Gods I found you! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Kanta-san? What on earth are you doing here?"

 _Did that man just say 'Lady'?_ Kakashi thought, looking between Kanta and Haruna, and feeling utterly confused.

"I was sent to find you, by Honorable Grandmother, Lady Setsuko!"

Haruna began to look worried, "My grandmother's here!? Why? Is everything okay?"

"There's no time! I must escort you to Lady Tsunade's office, at once!" Kanta immediately started taking off, not looking back to see if Haruna was following him. Haruna babbled as she tried to make sense of what just happened.

"I am so sorry, Kakashi," Haruna started. "I have no idea what's going on and if my grandmother is here I-"

"It's alright, you have nothing to apologize for. I just hope that everything's okay…"

"Yeah, so do I," Haruna sighed. Kanta retraced his way back to Kakashi and Haruna, and finally acknowledged the silver-haired jounin. He quickly butted into their conversation.

"You are Lord Kakashi? Lady Tsunade also asked for you!"

"Can you drop the 'Lord' part?" Kakashi asked. Kanta only nodded before racing off again towards the Hokage's office. Kakashi and Haruna shared a look before following the frazzled manservant towards the building and inside towards one of the meeting rooms.

Kanta announced their arrival, and once the two were inside, closed the door before proceeding to stand in one of the back corners of the room. Haruna's eyes landed on her grandmother before anyone else and she rushed to greet her. Setsuko smiled as they wrapped their arms around one another in a warm embrace.

"Are you okay, Gramma?" Haruna whispered in Setsuko's ear.

"I'm fine, darling. Healthy as an ox," Setsuko whispered back. Haruna sighed with relief when the pulled away, and took a seat to her grandmother's left. Kakashi and Tsunade gave a brief acknowledgement to one another before he sat across from Haruna and her grandmother.

"Then I don't understand… Why are you here? Did something happen?"

Setsuko wasted no time, "You know of Lord Daigo's condition, of his failing health, yes?" Haruna nodded. Tsunade had already been briefed of the situation, and Kakashi paid close attention to whatever was about to happen. "Well… he finally passed away. I received a missive from Mamoru last night."

"Oh? Is that all? If that's the case, then Cousin Kenji will be set to inherit everything. I doubt Daigo-"

"That's just it, sweetheart," Setsuko said, placing her wrinkled hands on Haruna's. "He didn't. Kenji was cut from the line of succession." Haruna looked down at her lap, her breathing was starting to become rapid as a cold realization filled her.

"No… No. No, no, I can't be…" Haruna started tripping over her words, and Setsuko moved one of her hands to Haruna's shoulder. The elderly woman simply nodded as Haruna started shaking her head. She whipped towards Kanta, who proceeded to bow deeply in her direction.

"It is an honor to serve you, Princess Haruna."

Kakashi looked to Tsunade, who could only manage a nod in response. He then looked to Haruna, who looked just as confused, but more than terrified.

"You're royalty?" Kakashi asked, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Not… exactly…" Haruna mumbled.


	8. The Compromise of Lady Haruna

"His calm and gentle tone was like an anchor in a ferocious sea, keeping me from drifting into a current of heartache."  
― K.M. Golland, _Discovering Stella_

* * *

Haruna paced around the other side of the room, going back and forth between her grandmother and Kanta, the servant that had tagged along. Tsunade and Kakashi had stepped out of the room to discuss another matter entirely, but the Matsuno clan barely paid them any mind when Tsunade excused herself and Kakashi.

"But why me? I barely have any experience in politics, and what I have gained, I feel I have thoroughly coughed up," Haruna huffed, crossing her arms.

Setsuko made a noise and turned her head to look at Haruna, "You mean that spat you had with the ambassador from Kirigakure? Oh, honey, that happens entirely more often than you can believe in the Shinobi world."

"Still, I could've handled it better…" Haruna sighed, turning on her heel to lean against the wall to face her grandmother and Kanta. "But, back to the subject at hand: does anyone know why Lord Daigo chose me as his heir? I know cousin Kenji is not entirely well loved, but he is Daigo's legitimate offspring."

"Best guess? Lord Daigo wanted to stick it to his son. Next to Kenji, you're the only reason option," Setsuko replied. Kanta took a step forward, looking slightly apprehensive.

"If I may, my ladies," Haruna and Setsuko both picked up their heads to look at the manservant. "Lady Haruna, while you bear the stigma of being illegitimate within the family, you are very well loved by the elders. You have proven yourself a much more… capable person than Lord Kenji."

"Flattering words, Kanta, but I still do not -"

Setsuko cut Haruna off, "There is also another reason, for the elders wanting you as head of the family, sweetheart. And it… helps with your issue of being labeled a bastard…" Haruna's brow furrowed and she moved to sit beside her grandmother again. "You know how I came from a different country, when I was just barely younger than you are now?" Haruna nodded.

"Well," Setsuko paused as she tried to find the words, all while taking her granddaughter's hands in hers, "I actually fled my home country, because of the wars going on at the time. My father had sent me north for my protection. As with many things, the issue was much more complicated than what I can tell you, but the short of what I'm trying to say is… My father was… _had_ been the leader of Uzushiogakure. You are the great-granddaughter of Uzumaki Shizuo. That's why the elders are pushing for your ascension as head of the clan. They're hoping to use your lineage to their benefit."

Haruna looked at her grandmother completely stunned. Even Kanta looked just as surprised. It took Haruna a few moments of blinking dumbly at her grandmother before she could muster any sort of response, but Setsuko waited patiently.

"Why didn't you tell me, or Goro, any of this sooner?" Haruna asked just barely above a whisper. Setsuko sighed and shrugged.

"I didn't want to burden you more," her voice cracked a little. "You and your brother and your father had enough to deal with, and to have the family Elders know your true lineage so that you could be their pawns… I couldn't bare the thought of that happening." Setsuko took Haruna's face in her hands. "But no matter how hard I tried to keep this a secret, it still came to light…"

"So… the Elders know?" Haruna asked. Setsuko could only nod. "How long have they known?"

"I think they always had their suspicions, but I only confirmed it to them just before I left a few days ago. They are probably now pushing harder for you to become legitimized, and become leader of the family."

Haruna looked down, trying to process everything. She felt rage towards her family and their manipulative ways; she felt confused and hurt by her grandmother for keeping such a big secret hidden for so long; she felt despair at the hopelessness of the situation. It seemed like her option of being able to say no was growing thinner by the second.

"Are you mad at me?" Setsuko asked, lowering her hands from Haruna's face. Haruna smiled sadly at her grandmother, but shook her head.

"No, Gramma, I'm not mad. Just sad, and a little disappointed, that you didn't tell me this sooner. I mean… you wait till I'm almost 30 to tell me something like this?" Haruna teased, hoping to help the mood. Setsuko smiled softly, and looked sheepishly at her youngest grandchild.

"What can I say? Even old people do foolish things. But… I know you will need time to process all this. I won't discuss that matter further, if that's what you wish. But if you ever have questions, I am here." Haruna nodded appreciatively, mouthing a brief "thank you" towards her grandmother.

"Lady Haruna," Kanta approached the two women, "will you answer the summons? So that you may become head of the family? I promised Lords Jiro and Hisaya that I would send them your answer as soon as we made it to Konohagakure."

Haruna looked at Kanta and sighed deeply. She hated all of this, and despite it being futile, the kunoichi had made up her mind when Ganza sent his first letter.

"While I can't ask you to tell the Elders to fuck off," Haruna started, to which Setsuko reached over and pinched Haruna's arm. The latter gave the older woman an exasperated look, but continued on, "Tell the Elders that I will not become head of the family."

Kanta gave Setsuko a troubled look, "My lady, Lords Jiro and Hisaya will be _very_ much displeased. They will ask you to come to the family estate so that they can settle this matter faster since you are so steadfast in your refusal."

"Much as I hate to admit it, Kanta's right," Setsuko added. "But, Haruna, there really is no one else the Elders can agree on as to who should lead the family."

"When have the Elders agreed on anything?" Haruna countered.

"Fair enough, but you will have to make the journey back home to help settle this matter. They may also try to force you into the position, as well, if they cannot agree on someone else."

Haruna nodded her head tersely, "I know, and I expect that to happen. If there is truly no one else, of if they need time to find someone to lead the family, I can manage with being an interim leader…" It physically pained her to say such a thing, but Haruna had a feeling that that was a reasonable compromise; something Elders would temporarily be okay with. "I just… don't want this to be how it is for the rest of my life…"

Setsuko firmly grasped Haruna's hand, "I will always be on your side. I will make sure that won't happen, my dear." She turned to Kanta, who proceeded to stand at attention. "You have her answer. You may inform Lords Jiro and Hisaya of the news, Kanta."

The manservant bowed deeply, "Right away, my lady."

* * *

The worried, almost terrified expression on Haruna's face had worried the Copy Ninja some, but the other half was floored by Haruna's lineage. She had explained to him, briefly and frantically before being escorted out, that her family were former nobility and a respected clan of shinobi and samurai, and they had been allowed to keep their style of "Prince" and "Princess" after the Warring States Era ended, and Earth Country had been unified.

Basically, she was styled "Princess" only in name, but was still considered a noblewoman, albeit an illegitimate one. Now that he and Tsunade pulled away towards the latter's office, another part of Kakashi emerged that wanted to know what it was that Tsunade had called him for, exactly. While Haruna and her grandmother continued to discuss family matters down the hall, Tsunade had lead them back to her office.

Kakashi had closed the door behind them before the Hokage tossed a file his way. Kakashi caught it easily and began reading through it. Within the file was a brief history of the Matsuno clan, their family tree, and dossiers of the major players of the family. He would look through this in more detail once he was home. Kakashi tucked the file away into an interior pocket in his vest.

"The Matsuno clan are heavily involved with the daimyo and their geo-politics," Tsunade started, sitting behind her desk. "Because of this delicate situation with the Matsuno clan, the daimyos from the Five Great Shinobi countries will be traveling to the family's estate to overlook affairs. What I want from you," Tsunade pointed her finger at Kakashi, "is to escort the Fire Daimyo to the Matsuno estate and act as his personal body guard. Naruto and Sakura will be joining you. Some of the daimyo's personal guard will be traveling with you, too, but I want you to be my eyes and ears during this… precarious time."

"If I may, Lady Tsunade, why do you need to me to act as an envoy for you?" Kakashi asked once he closed the file. He had a guess, but Kakashi wanted his guess to be confirmed.

"Because whatever happens with the Matsuno clan will also effect the politics of the Kage and our respective villages," Tsunade replied. "The Matsuno were once a samurai family, but have since transitioned to a powerful shinobi family. I have no doubt the other Kage will also be sending their own representatives. And besides, we have our own matters to attend to…"

 _I thought as much_ , Kakashi mentally noted. "Will I be escorting the daimyo from the capital?"

"No, he will be joining the traveling party here. He should be arriving within the next couple days. I just sent him a missive explaining everything, as did the other daimyo, I'm sure. Naruto and Sakura will receive their missions in the morning."

"And what of the investigation you sent me to earlier last week? Who will be taking over that responsibility?"

"I'm assigning that to Shikamaru and his team. I'm certain he can handle it."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. That sounded reasonable enough. He bowed deeply and before asking for permission to be excused, Tsunade was quick to add one more thing.

"One more thing, Kakashi," she added, taking a hidden bottle of sake out from her desk. "Once you're there, be on your guard. From what Haruna told me, her family is a snake pit of liars and deceivers."

* * *

Haruna tiredly rubbed her eyes, glad that her talk with her grandmother was over. Talking about family politics had made Haruna feel mentally drained, and sluggish. Setsuko had Kanta escort them to the hotel they were staying at. Haruna had offered for her grandmother to stay with her for the time being, but Setsuko didn't want to "impose further" on her grandchild.

"I've caused enough trouble for the night," Setsuko had said while Haruna walked with them to their hotel. It seemed reasonable, but Haruna wouldn't have minded having her grandmother stay with her. But then again, Gramma Setsuko had always been a stubborn woman.

Reaching into her pocket, Haruna grabbed her carton of cigarettes and popped one into her mouth. After the night she had, Haruna wouldn't be surprised if she ended up smoking half the box by dawn. Her lighter seemed to have different plans, however, as the damned thing refused to light.

"Come on, you goddamn bastard," Haruna cursed under her breath, flicking the spark wheel furiously. Five flicks later, she gave up and tossed the empty lighter into a nearby bin. Making a series of quick hand signs, Haruna channeled enough chakra to ignite a small flame at her fingertips to light her cigarette with.

Taking a long, deep drag, Haruna could feel the edge of the evening fade away as she held the smoke in the back of her throat. Even so, she still felt anxious. Like there were pins and needles prickling at her legs so that she couldn't sit for anything longer than a minute. Skipping out on going home, Haruna decided to just wander around the village.

"The quiet may do me some good," she mumbled to herself after taking another drag of her cigarette. There was no destination Haruna had in mind, but she felt comfortable walking around, regardless, since she was starting to get to know her way around. It would probably look odd, seeing a fairly young woman walking around at almost midnight, but Haruna had a feeling that the village had seen, and dealt with, stranger things before.

* * *

Kakashi had finally finished going over everything in the file that Tsunade had given him. No doubt the information released with the Tsuchikage's permission, but he wouldn't put it past the old man to still keep some things secret. No doubt all the Kage would be heading back to the Land of Iron sometime tomorrow to deal with the trouble this "Sen" person was causing, given Tsunade's tone on the matter.

After reading everything in the file, and knowing just a fraction of what Haruna had gone through from his personal experience with her, Kakashi felt very sympathetic towards Haruna's plight. He knew how it felt to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. His last moments with Obito and Rin at the cave… it was still one of the hardest decisions he ever had to make in his life.

There was this inclination within Kakashi to go out and find out Haruna, to see how she was handling everything. But he still felt awkward around her, despite their encounters in the past. It was bizarre, having this person in his life that felt like a close friend, and a stranger, at the same time.

How do you act around someone like that? How _can_ you comfort someone like that?

Do you pretend that there isn't this vast chasm between you, and act as if you have been friends forever? Or do you try to build a bridge between one another, hoping the other person feels the same, and you both promise to meet halfway?

He just wanted to be there for Haruna as a friend, but it was on the method of "how" that troubled Kakashi.

Kakashi felt the need to go visit the Memorial Stone, and ask Obito questions like this, if only to try and clear his head. Sure, Gai would be comforting and understanding and maybe offer some advice (none of it being good), but Kakashi wasn't sure if he could handle Gai's high energy on something the genuinely confused him. Yamato wouldn't be much help, either, as he would avoid getting involved in Kakashi's business.

 _Although, if Obito were here, he would probably admonish me for having a crush on her_ , Kakashi thought blankly. And that was not the case with Haruna - of that he was sure. Yes, there was a strong sense of mutual admiration between them, that had been established years ago. But aside from that? Kakashi was certain there were no feelings of attraction between them.

The clock above his bed chimed 12 times, breaking Kakashi's train of thought. Not feeling the least bit tired (if anything he felt anxious and confused), he thought some fresh air might help. Grabbing a thin blanket from the bed and wrapping it round his shoulders, Kakashi opened his window and started climbing towards the roof of his building.

* * *

Haruna was finishing her second cigarette, and the dread she had been carrying within her since earlier this evening didn't feel much lighter. She thought about heading home and lying in her bed, just to see if she could get any sleep at all. But it seemed futile since she still felt so alert. Flicking the cigarette to the ground and stomping it out with her feet, Haruna sighed and pouted her lips as she looked up towards the stars.

"What am I gonna do, Dad?" she asked, hoping in vain that the spirit of her deceased father would give some sort of sign. Like Haruna, he cared little for the Matsuno family. In fact, he had tried to keep her and Goro away from the main family as much as possible. But it seemed Haruna hailed from a clan of pests; no matter what her father or grandmother did to keep them away, they always came back in some way or another.

"I really wish you were here, Dad," Haruna sighed, shoving her fists into her pockets. "I know Gramma came here to help, but I just feel more confused… I don't want to become head of the clan, I know that much. But… is it wrong of me to sort of want it? Because then it would mean I would stop being looked down on, you know…"

Sniffing, Haruna quickly rubbed her nose and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I just really need some of your advice right now, Dad. And I hate that you're not here to give me what I need to hear…"

Haruna had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down before the tears started falling down her face. It wasn't that she hated crying, but more so that she hated crying in public, even though there was no one around. But the sound of a window opening and closing a few storied above her effectively ruined that illusion.

Looking up, Haruna saw Kakashi slink out of (what she assumed to be) his apartment, and make his way up to the roof the building. She almost called out to him. Almost. Haruna was aching to talk to someone, anyone, that would listen and maybe offer her something that resembled good advice. But there was no one around and it was late, and there was Kakashi - someone she thought vaguely of as a friend.

While they certainly had something that resembled a past, was it enough to consider him a friend? There had been times where he felt like a complete stranger to her. To be fair, their interactions had been few and far in between.

How can you talk to someone who feels like a friend, and a stranger, at the same time?

Still… Haruna had explained to him, as quickly as possible, as to why she was considered royalty, and he had overheard part of her conversation with her grandmother about their… family matters. He was really her only viable option at the moment, as her grandmother wanted to give Haruna space. Seeing nothing to really lose, Haruna bucked up the courage and silently leapt up the balconies towards the building's roof where Kakashi was making himself comfortable to enjoy the night sky.

He had heard her come up a few stories down, and didn't react when she landed near him. Instead, he responded casually.

"Hey."

"Hey…"

The sound of defeat in her voice was hard to miss, and that was what made Kakashi turn his head to look at her. Despite her best efforts to look somewhat cheerful, Kakashi could easily see the puffiness of her eyes and how the tip of her nose was red.

 _Has she been crying?_ he thought, though he felt silly for asking himself that. Of course she had. Anyone could plainly see that. Regardless, he felt his sympathies for Haruna growing, and pulling on his heart strings.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" she asked, to which Kakashi silently nodded. "Thanks."

Sitting cross-legged beside him, Haruna scooted close to Kakashi for warmth. Being this close, he could easily smell the cigarettes she had been smoking, as well as the faint smell of something sweet and floral coming from her hair. There was also another scent Kakashi picked up… spiced tea, perhaps? He could smell cinnamon and ginger.

It was an interesting combo, but he decided that he liked it. It suited her.

"This might be a stupid question, but how are you holding up?" Kakashi asked after a moment of silence.

"Not good," Haruna answered truthfully. "I'm just… barely keeping it together…"

It should be noted that Kakashi was not good at these sort of things. He had, up until some **major** recent developments, the emotional range and capacity of a spoon. These sort of emotional talks were too messy and, well, emotional for him. But Kakashi liked to think that since the end of the last war, he had matured in the last lessons Obito taught him. And it was something of a common theme in _Icha Icha_ that the main love interests had talks like these.

So, Kakashi took a leap of faith, "If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm willing to listen."

Haruna smiled warmly at him, as if he were the sun parting the storm clouds within her mind. Kakashi wasn't sure if his heart was melting or not.

"Thank you, I really appreciate that. Especially at a time like this."

"I know this isn't my place, but what did you and your grandmother talk about?"

"Mostly as to how I can avoid becoming leader of the clan. I figured out that I'm okay with being an interim leader until they find someone, maybe my cousin Minami. She's always had a good head on her shoulders. But… better me than Kenji, the irresponsible ass that he is…"

"What's wrong with your cousin, Kenji?"

Haruna chuckled and shook her head, "More like what _isn't_ wrong with him. Everyone knows he's a spoiled brat because he was constantly told he would be the head of the family one day, a horrible sense of entitlement, really. But he just doesn't know how to lead. He tried a few campaigns against enemies of the Matsuno, but they all ended terribly. I can honestly say I don't know how to lead either, but at least I know how to listen. Which is more than what Kenji can do."

"What does your grandmother think? Of you being a placeholder?"

"She took it better than I expected, actually. She's on board with wanting to find someone else that wouldn't leave the family in complete ruin."

The conversation continued on, and Haruna felt some of the weight on her chest lighten. Kakashi was silent throughout most of the conversation, and that was fine with Haruna for the most part. She needed to vent and talk about what happened, so she was incredibly grateful for Kakashi's willingness to listen to her. There was still the matter of her grandmother's secret weighing her down, but Haruna wasn't sure if it was her place to share something like that.

"Well, Kakashi, I think I've pretty talked your ear off about my problems, but I hate feeling like I'm stealing the entirety of the conversation."

"You haven't, trust me."

"Eh, you say that, but I'll still feel like it," Haruna lightly nudged his arm. "So… what did Lady Tsunade want with you? Or is that classified?"

Considering the mission partially involved Haruna, Kakashi didn't think it was too classified.

"Since your family is so involved within the political climate of the daimyos, Lady Tsunade asked me, and my former students, to escort the Fire Daimyo to your family's estate for the upcoming proceedings. I'm to inform her of any drastic developments."

Haruna mouthed an "oh," and slowly nodded her head. "I see… Can't say I'm too surprised, though. My cousin Ganza is the Earth Daimyo, after all."

"I know," Kakashi replied. Haruna gave him an astonished look, but he quickly recovered. "Lady Tsunade gave me a brief missive on who I should know within your family for the upcoming mission. It mentioned how Lord Ganza is one of your immediate cousins."

"Ahh, I see," Haruna felt her shoulders relax. "He always felt more like an uncle, though, since he and my father grew up together."

 _But if he read all that, then he probably knows about my brother, too_ , Haruna thought, and suddenly felt very ashamed and embarrassed for herself. Did he think less of her for it? Having a sibling classified as a missing-nin, and possible criminal?

"Did… did your file say anything about my brother, Goro?" Haruna asked carefully, turning her head to the side as she didn't want to look Kakashi in the eye.

"It did, but just what those in ANBU already knew," Kakashi answered. He turned to look at Haruna. "Are you ashamed of your brother?"

"No!" Haruna replied quickly, turning her head to face Kakashi. "Yes? I honestly don't know… What I do know is that I still love him, and I always will. I just wish I knew why he left. But it's been close to 20 years since I've seen him. I'm afraid I'll never know the answer…"

"Then that's all that matters, how you feel," Kakashi replied. "And you may get the answers you want, one day. Though… probably not in a way you would expect. Take it from me, I found closure with things from my past I never thought possible."

He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to say, but it seemed right. Judging from how Haruna's expression softened, Kakashi felt his choice of words had been appropriate.

"Thank you, Kakashi. Really," she said softly, as if he should be the only one to hear those words. He subconsciously cleared his throat.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Hopefully our talk has… made you feel better?"

"It has, yeah," Haruna smiled, gently butting her forehead against his shoulder. "I really appreciate you, Kakashi. I'm starting to feel really happy that you'll be coming to my family's estate with me. I'll feel better knowing you're there."

At first, Kakashi had felt compelled to correct Haruna. That he would technically be traveling with the Fire Daimyo as the man's body guard, but he didn't want to dampen Haruna's lifted mood with technicalities and poor word choice.

Or… maybe Kakashi was too flushed by Haruna's last sentence to really counter anything she had just said.

"Maybe it'll feel like old times," Haruna added with a smirk, which brought Kakashi back down to earth.

"By 'good times', do you mean when we chased down that rogue general, or the coliseum where we barely made it out alive?"

Haruna pouted her lips in thought for a moment, before grinning at Kakashi from ear-to-ear, "Both."

They both chuckled, and Kakashi shook his head in disbelief. This woman…

Haruna, as much as she wanted to stay, knew she had to go home to try and get some rest, and she said as much to Kakashi.

"You're probably right," he said as they both stood up. "The sun's about to rise."

"Have we really talked all night?" Haruna asked, looking out towards the horizon. Sure enough, the first yellow and pink rays of sunlight began to shine over the distant hills and mountains, signaling a new day. "Well, look at that…"

Kakashi turned to Haruna, noticing the subtle, pale freckles on her nose and the yellow flecks in her eyes, again. There were even tints of red and brown in the thinner ends of her hair that shined in the pale sunlight.

 _She really is beautiful_ , he thought distantly, turning his gaze back towards the sun. Haruna's thoughts were completely somewhere else.

She felt a little more clear-headed as to where her and Kakashi stood, in terms of their relationship. Haruna felt more comfortable calling him a friend than an associate. Confirmation was always a reassuring thing, however.

"Kakashi?" Haruna asked, still looking out towards the sunrise.

"Hm?"

"We're friends, right?"

Kakashi wanted to laugh at the irony. He had been wondering the same thing, and it was reassuring to know she felt just as confused as he did. But, after another one of their talks, Kakashi felt that the chasm between them wasn't nearly as wide as he originally made it out to be.

Perhaps he had been right in assuming she was an old friend.

"Yeah," he said with great ease. "Yeah, we are friends."

Haruna, still keeping her gaze on the sunrise, smiled and tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear, happy to know that she indeed had a friend in Kakashi. It was enough, and yet at the same time, it didn't feel like it was.


	9. Yielding

"If a branch is too rigid, it will break. Resist, and you will perish. Know how to yield, and you will survive."  
― Liezi, _Liezi: A Toaist Guide to Practical Living_

* * *

Prince Kenji Matsuno was a man of average height, broad shouldered and considered to be very handsome, despite the premature streaks of grey in his dark hair and beard. He had sharp, pale green eyes that looked hawkish most days; like he could see straight into the soul of a person. He was intimidating, at a glance, to be sure. But his physical allure aside, Kenji was a man not made for politics and leadership.

He gambled money without any consideration of his actions, enjoyed the company of less reputable women, and he liked spending money on expensive alcohol that was ideal for licking off the more supple body parts of women. To put it bluntly - he was a degenerate. He only put up with the rules and traditions of his family all for the sake of money; if he didn't, he was effectively cut off and couldn't indulge in his roguish habits. But Kenji was trying to turn over a new leaf.

Since the death of his father, and naming his distant cousin Haruna has his heir rather than him, that felt like the worst wake up call for the prince. Kenji wanted to show he was making an effort to be a more agreeable leader. So, he decided to do that by calling a special council.

Currently, he sat _seiza_ style in front of the family elders, hands folded into his kimono sleeves. He tried his best to look calm and composed, but if one were to squint their eyes, they would easily see the twinkle of annoyance in his frosty expression.

Lord Jiro, the oldest living member of the main branch, read over Kenji's petition to challenge his father's will. Hisaya, Jiro's first cousin twice removed, had already read the petition and was ready to strike down Kenji's appeal. Hisaya highly respected Lord Daigo, but it was no family secret that the former clan head's eldest son was tolerated at best.

With a shaky hand, Jiro slowly removed his glasses and placed the delicately on his knee. Kenji adjusted himself while Jiro spent another few seconds clearing his throat and neatly setting aside the letter.

"What say the rest of you, to Prince Kenji's petition to overturn his father's will?" Lord Jiro asked in a wheezing voice.

"I still say nay," Hisaya said quickly, turning to face Kenji head-on. "My prince, were you capable of being more delicate in certain situations, then perhaps I would be inclined to favor you. There is potential in you, but you simply lack the... restraint that is necessary for leadership. You did nearly cause a civil war between the Matsuno and the Nagino family, after all. Did you think we would disregard something like that?"

Despite knowing Hisaya's position, Kenji could feel his facial hair bristling with contempt. The prince had to physically bite down on his tongue so that he couldn't sarcastically respond that Lord Hisaya was exaggerating. What turned into a minor land dispute turned violent before Ganza had to intervene on the behalf of both families.

Taking a deep breath, Kenji turned to the other members of the council.

"Lady Asuka," Kenji began in an even tone, "do you share the same sentiment as Lord Hisaya?"

She nodded, "Indeed, I do. What Haruna may lack in leadership skills, she certainly makes up for in competency, and versatility. I think she may continue to surprise us, yet, if we give her the chance to."

Sighing deeply, Kenji turned towards the last two members of the council. "What say you, Lord Yasuro and Lady Eboshi?"

The elders shared a look, but Yasuro was the first to speak. The old man cleared his throat before speaking. The poor man had just gotten over a terrible case of bronchitis.

"I have known you, Prince Kenji, since I first heard your cries echo throughout these castle halls. While you still are hot-headed and brash, I know you are capable of so much more. The potential has always been there, and I have seen it in your moments of kindness and brevity. Perhaps… had you been given better opportunities to cultivate those skills, we would not be in this position today."

Lord Yasuro paused to clear his throat again, "I want to give you the benefit of the doubt, my prince. It is not to late for you, or anyone for that matter, to change."

Kenji couldn't help the small tug at the corner of his lips. That was one vote for him, and if Lady Eboshi were to get on his side, too, then maybe that was enough to convince Jiro. And sure enough, the latter methodically nodded her head in agreement. Hisaya nearly choked on his own spit at the site, and Asuka looked ashen.

"I believe you make a fair point, cousin," Eboshi said. "The prince has hardly been given a chance to grow. Now might be the best time for such an opportunity, to see what he is truly made of."

"You cannot be serious, Lady Eboshi!" Hisaya balked, leaning forward from his seat to look down the row as to where they sat. "This is like pushing a child into a pond, and hoping they can keep their head above the water! We would be risking the livelihood of the clan! We would - !"

"Do not be so extreme, Hisaya! Surely you cannot think the prince so incompetent?" Eboshi countered, also leaning forward so she could look Hisaya in the eye.

"If you want to see what Prince Kenji is truly made of, get him a dog and see how long it lives! We're less likely to face serious repercussions from that!" Hisaya waved his hand at Eboshi, and the latter opened her mouth to speak before the subject of their argument intervened.

"Elders, please!" Kenji tried his best to imitate father to sound loud and intimidating. It worked to a certain degree, as everyone turned their heads to him. "I would like to speak for myself, if it pleases you."

Eboshi and Hisaya gave each other hard looks before everyone on the panel nodded. Hisaya gestured for Kenji to say whatever it was he wanted.

"Let me first say, Lord Yasuro and Lady Eboshi, that I am happy and eternally grateful to have your support. However," Kenji rose from his seat and stood at full height. "I know that my reputation within the family is less than stellar. I want to make a guarantee, here and now, that if you chose to renege my father's will, and select me as head of the Matsuno clan, I will always listen to your good council. I will think before I act, and keep what's best for the family at the forefront of my mind."

"Humph! Such pretty words will not sway me, Prince Kenji," Hisaya said. "We have heard such grandiose promises from you before, and you have yet to keep a single one! The circumstances may be different this time, but given all that has happened, I cannot trust you to lead this family. Such a 'guarantee' is not enough for me…"

Kenji felt his beard bristling again, and it didn't help when Asuka also voiced her support in Hisaya's decision. Jiro, who had been quite throughout the whole meeting, raised his hand for everyone to cease talking so that he could say a few words.

"This divide will do us no good," Jiro wheezed before falling into a small coughing fit. Once he regained his composure, Jiro sat up straighter. "I do not think it fair that we exclude Haruna from this conversation, cousins. She is heavily involved in this matter, and it would only be right for her to defend her position on this." A few heads nodded in agreement.

"That being said, I suggest we wait till she returns from Konohagakure with Setsuko and the Fire Daimyo," Jiro said. "Once all have assembled here, it will be easier to… settle all the troubles this issue of inheritance has caused us. The last thing we need are the Nagino family taking advantage of our weakness right now."

"Well said," Yasuro said.

"Here, here!" Eboshi seconded.

Kenji was disappointed, and he made that clear on his face, but there would be no arguing with the Elders when they had actually agreed on something. But he couldn't discount the progress he made with Eboshi and Yasuro. That certainly counted for something in the man's book.

With that matter settled, the rest of the council stood and turned to leave. Kenji was about to do the same when Yasuro tapped his shoulder, and motioned with his head for Kenji to follow him. They walked out of the large meeting room towards the castle gardens where their conversation was less likely to be overheard.

"Your father has created quite the conundrum with his will," Yasuro said before coughing violently into a handkerchief. "All this mess with a _bastard_ who hasn't stepped foot on these grounds in a decade…"

"I understand your frustrations, Lord Yasuro, truly," Kenji replied as the two slowly made their way through the grounds. "I am still trying to make sense of it all myself. But, I get the sense you wanted to more than just vent your frustrations as to what my father did?"

Yasuro made stammered a little, trying to find the right words, "Yes, yes… well… I have been trying to come up with a solution that could make everyone a little happier." The cold air was irritating his lungs, and Yasuro fell into another fit of coughing.

"Damn this weather… ugh. I'll just right to it then," the middle-aged man gasped once he caught his breath. "What if you were to marry Haruna, rather than cause more strife over who gets to lead the family?" Kenji stopped dead in tracks, and looked at Yasuro as if he suddenly started speaking in tongues.

"Marry her?" Kenji recoiled at the very idea. "Hasn't there been enough inbreeding in this family already?"

Up until 50 years ago, the Matsuno family would marry their second or third cousins from the second branch, and occasionally marry members from the Kusaragi clan, another clan they were distantly related to. This had been a common practice to help solidify the family's power, and to also make sure that there would be no loss of power or issues of inheritance in the family whenever the leader of the Matsuno clan passed away. It had been a good system… till now.

Oops.

"I know, I know," Yasuro chided, "but you would get to lead the clan, as is your birthright, and it wouldn't challenging your father's will. We on the council still want to honor your father's last wishes as much as possible."

Kenji groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose. This was far worse than when he found out his father cut him out of his inheritance. He always thought of Haruna as a loud-mouthed brat with a uppity attitude. He could barely stand her when they were younger. Kenji doubt she had changed at all last they had seen one another.

After a moment of silence, Kenji looked at Yasuro with a pitiful expression. "Can you honestly not think of anything else, Lord Yasuro?"

The man coughed a few times before nodding, "It's the best I came up with since your father passed. If you can think of a better solution, I am certainly open to it."

He didn't have any ideas.

"Well…" Kenji sighed, "shit."

* * *

Haruna curled up tighter under the blankets to stave off the cold. Even with the small space heater running a few feet away from her, she could still feel the shiver of early winter working its way through the nooks and crannies of her apartment.

It was the cold that had woken her up, and Haruna had made up her mind to stay in bed where it was safe and warm when she saw a bit of frost on her window. Poking her head out from under the covers, Haruna looked to see if any of it had thawed off.

Some had, but not enough for her to warrant getting out of bed just yet. Scooting close to the left side of the large futon, Haruna blindly reached towards a stack of books that had started to pile up. She already breezed through her recent book purchases, but the cheesy romance she had bought warranted being read again.

Making sure she had grabbed the right book, Haruna got settled under the blankets again and flipped through the first couple chapters to where the plot began to pick up.

 _He was like a prince from the fairytales that grandmother used to read. To a simple, village girl like Minami, Hidemasa was too beautiful to be real; too perfect, charming, and noble. Why else would he act like such a gentleman? That's what Minami had told herself, anyway, when Hidemasa showed up injured and near death just on the outskirts of the village._

 _Until Hidemasa, no one had ever paid Minami any mind unless they needed someone to stitch their wounds, or mend their clothes. She had simply been the daughter of a simple farmer. A reliable young woman who knew her lot in life._

 _But not Hidemasa._

 _No. He sat there in all his beauty, looking at Minami the way a dog discovers its reflection for the first time: curious and attentive. He watched the way her nimble fingers worked to repair his kimono, how her skin looked as smooth as paper. Hidemasa briefly allowed himself to wonder how deft, slim those fingers would fell between his._

 _Would they be soft as they looked? Or would they be rough and course, as expected from the daughter of a farmer?_

"Her hands are soft, Hidemasa, you dummy," Haruna mumbled as she turned the page and continued reading. "Just stop wondering and hold her hand already, God…"

That particular juicy bit didn't happen for a few more chapters, and Haruna knew that, but it still didn't stop her from making commentary on the silly trope. As she neared the end of the chapter, Haruna's stomach began to grumble. Whining, Haruna wished that a plate of warm food would just appear in front of her so that she wouldn't have to leave the warm confines of her bed.

But when her stomach growled a second time, she knew there was no use in fighting. As much as Haruna preferred being warm, she much preferred being full **and** warm.

Wrapping a blanket around her, she grabbed the space heater in one hand, and her book in the other. Haruna set the heater down near the dining table and turned the settings up higher. The smell of burnt wire prickled her nose as the fan began working harder to warm up a much larger room, but within a few second the smell wasn't nearly as acidic.

Making a quick simple meal of poached eggs, rice and heating up some leftover soup, Haruna re-wrapped the blanket around her, and splayed the book out in front of her so she could continue reading while she ate.

Haruna probably hadn't turned five pages into the chapter till someone began knocking on her door. With a mouth half full, she merely looked at the door and hoped whoever was on the other side simply had the wrong door.

"I know you're in there, Haru-chan!" Ikue called. "I can hear a fan going!"

Setting her dishes in the sink, Haruna adjusted the blanket around her and unlocked the door. Ikue huffed at her friend's sleepy appearance when she saw Haruna was still in her pajamas.

"Did you only just wake up? It's almost 11 o'clock!" Ikue said while Haruna stepped to the side so she could enter. The latter shrugged and walked back to the kitchen while Ikue took off her sandals.

"I got nowhere to be," Haruna answered. "I might get dinner with my grandmother tonight since she's visiting, but other than that, I'm as free as a bird. Plus, I didn't sleep very well last night. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep?" She paused and sniffed. Haruna smelt something sweet and savory. "Did you bring food?"

Ikue nodded and held up a white paper bag that had since collected a few oil stains on the bottom. "Yep! Figured since I have the day off, I could bother you and have lunch at your place since you're _starved_ of my company. Hope you like pork!"

Haruna chuckled and began setting out plates on the table. "So long as there's no nuts, we're good. I'm _very_ allergic."

"Good to know," Ikue chuckled while handing out the food. She saw the bags under Haruna's eyes, and how worn out she looked. It was a different sort of exhaustion, though. It looked more emotional and mental than physical.

Ikue's brow furrowed and she looked concerned, "Everything okay? Are you getting sick?" She sat across from Haruna at the little dining table, sticking her feet out close to the heater to warm up her toes.

Haruna shook her head and yawned out, "No, just got a lot on my mind, that's all." The two gave a quick thanks for the meal, split their chopsticks, and began eating in earnest.

"Is it bad?" Ikue asked, dipping her food in a little, plastic sauce cup. "No boyfriend trouble, right?" Haruna deadpanned at Ikue mid-chew. "Hey! I just wanted to make sure."

"Mhmm," Haruna hummed doubtfully with a mouth full of food, not having the energy to correct Ikue on her relationship status. Haruna took a sip of water to clear her mouth before replying, "It's more akin to family trouble that's got me so worked up."

Ikue looked at Haruna like a light had gone off, "Oh! Is it the same trouble you had a couple weeks ago?"

"Mhmm," Haruna hummed again, taking a big bite of the steamed vegetables served on the side.

"I take it it's gotten a lot worse since then?"

"Mhmm."

Ikue huffed, and gave Haruna an annoyed glance before dipping her fried pork in sauce again. "Is that all you can say right now? 'Mmmmmhmmmm?'" Ikue exaggerated her impression some, but Haruna smiled cheekily before responding with a simple 'mhmm.' Both women looked at each other for a moment before falling into a small fit of laughter.

"But in all seriousness, Haru-chan, are you gonna be okay?" Ikue asked once they had calmed down. Haruna sighed, and set her chopsticks down beside her plate. The latter sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I honestly have no clue. What I thought was a simple inheritance matter turned into a much more convoluted issue overnight."

"How so?" Ikue asked, adding more food to her plate. Haruna debated on telling Ikue about her family, and venting to her like she did with Kakashi just a few hours ago. Considering she didn't have the energy or will to skirt around the issue anymore, Haruna decided to let Ikue know. Maybe, Haruna thought, she would feel better if she could talk to someone about it. Someone who wasn't entirely involved in the issue.

"It has to do with my grandmother visiting me," Haruna started. "As it turns out, I'm to become head of the Matsuno clan. The previous leader, Daigo, cut out his eldest son from succession." Ikue was about to stuff her face with one of the last pieces of pork, but stopped mid-motion, and looked wide-eyed at Haruna. "Yep, that's a thing that's happening."

"Wait, wait. Stop right there, flag on the play," Ikue set down her utensils and gently pushed the near empty cartons of food and plates to the side. "Start from the beginning. What's going on with your family now?"

"To put it briefly? The leader of the Matsuno clan, Daigo, passed away a few days ago, and named me as his heir. Normally, such a title would go to the clan leader's eldest child. I am not his child, clearly, but I am a member of the main branch family. However, I am considered a illegitimate because my great-grandmother was born out of wedlock. You with me so far?" Ikue nodded. "Good, cause it's gonna get really confusing really fast."

* * *

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, having just gone over the very basics of the mission with Naruto and Sakura. As much as Tsunade wanted to go over the details (she really didn't), she had to leave for the Land of Iron again before the day was out in order to make the second Kage summit. Her and the other leaders needed a way to figure as to how to deal with Sen and whatever plot he was concocting. Especially now that they had a positive ID.

"Any further questions?" Tsunade asked, rising from her chair. Both teenagers shook their heads. Tsunade inwardly sighed with relief, "Good, because I have other, urgent matters that need my attention."

"Understood," Sakura replied dutifully.

"I still can't believe Haru-chan is some hoity-toity noble lady," Naruto sighed, looking over the file once more. That was a detail neither he or Sakura were expecting, mostly because Haruna rarely acted the part. Tsunade began gathering her things and had the two teenagers follow her out of her office.

"Always expect the unexpected, I guess," Sakura replied once they were out in the hall.

"Keep that to heart when you reach the Matsuno compound," Tsunade advised. "You'll be in for an interesting time while you're there, I'm sure. If you keep your heads down, and don't butt into their clan politics, the mission should be fairly easy."

"If it's supposed to be so easy, how come it's ranked as an A-class mission, Granny?" Naruto asked while folding his hands behind his head.

"Politics is tricky, and I need you on your best behavior, Naruto," Tsunade replied. "I'm hoping that having this ranked so a high mission will encourage you to behave yourself."

"Hey! I can totally do that!" the blonde pouted. To which Sakura pushed his head down and gave her mentor a reassuring smile.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, Lady Tsunade," Sakura said. Tsunade chuckled while shaking her head.

"I'm holding you to that, my pupil."

* * *

Once Haruna had finished going over her family situation (simplified), Ikue whistled and leaned back in her chair. She looked down at her lap, lips pouted together in a considering manner.

"I can see why you are so stressed out now, Haru-chan," Ikue said. "What do you think your cousin Kenji will do once you get there? I mean, yeah, he'll probably call for the council-thing like you mentioned if he hasn't done that already, but he seems more like the kinda guy that would rather fight you for the position of clan head." Haruna, before she could answer, sneezed into her elbow. She distantly wondered who was talking about her at the moment.

"I honestly wouldn't put it past him to do something like that," Haruna sniffed. "Kenji has never been the most… logical person."

"Psh! Yeah, no kidding," Ikue scoffed. "I can't believe you're actually considering the position, though. It kinda seems like you're willing to drink poison, at least from where I'm sitting."

"I know, and it certainly feels that way to me to, but…" Haruna's voice drifted off as she tried to find the right words for her next sentence. "You just tired of fighting after a certain point, I guess? I'm by no means giving up on trying to weasel my way out of this, believe me. My family can fuck off and I'd rather chew sand than become head of the family, but I am willing play nice. For now, anyway."

"Are you gonna get your sweet, sweet vengeance on them?" Ikue teased with a smirk. Haruna giggled and canted her head to the side.

"Maybe… Some in the family certainly have it coming." The two fell into another fit of laughter, and Ikue shook her head.

"I gotta say, Haru-chan, you've had quite an interesting life."

Haruna pressed her lips together thoughtfully, and considered Ikue's words for a moment. She had never considered her life to extraordinary or special, but to someone who hadn't been there to experience Haruna's way of life with her; to share and see the same things as she had done, Haruna could see as to why someone would think that.

"Yeah," the brunette said softly with an even softer smile. "Yeah, I guess I have."

* * *

 **A/N: Guess who was sick for two weeks with laryngitis that almost developed into bronchitis? Hint: ME. I had to go to the hospital twice, but I'm feeling much better now! But y'all, I'm not gonna lie, we're getting to a part I've been DYING to get to: Haruna's past.**

 **The next few chapters are gonna focus on Haruna and how she became a shinobi, her relationship with her parents and brother, how she met Kakashi, her misadventures - EVERYTHING.**

 **Ah! I can't wait! Get hype!**


	10. Haruna Gaiden, Part One: Little Veggie

**A/N:** Hey all! Just as a brief note, the next several chapters will be focusing on Haruna's childhood, i.e. her relationship with her immediate family, her time in the Third Shinobi War, her work as a kunoichi before becoming ambassador, etc. Think: the Kakashi ANBU filler arc in the anime, only a lot more in depth.

* * *

"Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well."

― George R.R. Martin, _A Game of Thrones_

* * *

 **24 years ago**

The classroom was buzzing with excitement as children from all walks of life chatted away happily in their seats. It was the class's first day at the Iwagakure academy, and the students still had some time to kill before their first day at the academy began. Some began bragging about how they had been training since they could walk; others took guesses as to who would become the top student in class.

Despite all the white noise around them, two students in particular looked too engrossed in their own conversation to pay anyone else any mind.

"Hey, hey, Haru-chan!" a young girl with bright orange hair animatedly poked her friend's shoulder. A five-year-old Haruna scooted closer to her friend, her green eyes wide and just as eager has her friend's. "What do you think our home room teacher will be like?"

"I dunno," Haruna shrugged, "but I hope it's not Einosuke Sensei… My brother said he was awful! I remember he gave my brother this one homework assignment that was so hard, not even my dad could help him with it!"

The other girl grimaced, and shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "Yikes… I hope we don't get Einosuke Sensei, either…" Haruna nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

"Do you think we'll get put on the same squad, though, Koko-chan?" the little brunette asked.

"Mmm…" Nahoko Kusaragi hummed, and tapped her chin thoughtfully. She certainly hoped so, but knew there would be no guarantee. "I dunno, either, but I really hope so!" The two girls smiled brightly at each other while the door to the classroom slid open.

A man who looked to be in his mid to late 20s walked inside study hall in long, confident strides.

Nahoko leaned over and whispered, "Is that Einosuke Sensei?"

"I don't think so?" Haruna whispered back. "I actually don't know what he looks like." Nahoko gave Haruna a nervous look before the two turned their full attention back to the teacher, who was just about to go through roll call.

"Hello class, I am your home room teacher, Kuzaki Sensei. Let's take roll, shall we?" Haruna and Nahoko each gave client sighs of relief and shared a brief smile as Kuzaki Sensei began reading off the names on the attendance sheet. One by one, as each name was called out, a squawky, excited voice would call out "here!" excitedly.

When the home room teacher got to Nahoko's name, Haruna watched her best friend sit up five degrees straighter and squeak out a very loud, "Here!" But the atmosphere in the room changed when Kuzaki Sensei got to Haruna's name.

"Matsu… Wait a minute," Kuzaki squinted his eyes and brought the clipboard closer to his face to make sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him. "Matsuno Haruna?"

"Here…" Haruna called out shyly, slowly raising her hand and feeling embarrassed as people started whispering about her. She didn't like being the center of attention.

"Matsuno? Isn't that the same name as The Bloodless Shadow of Iwagakure?" one student whispered so loudly, that Haruna could clearly hear him from across the room.

"I think so," another kid whispered back. "He's such a big hero, even _my_ dad is a fan of him!"

Haruna was afraid something like this would happen. She knew that her father was a famous and highly respected shinobi within the Iwagakure community. Her brother, Goro, was hailed as a genius since he graduated from the academy early, and made jounin in record time. Haruna had hoped in vain that no one would pay her too much attention, that they would see her as her own person. But as the daughter of someone as highly regarded as her father, it was naive of her to hope for something like that.

"Are you… Takeshi's daughter?" Kuzaki asked once he spotted Haruna sitting in the middle section of the third row. Haruna silently nodded, her blush deepening. "Huh… I didn't know he had another child…" Another moment of silence as Kuzaki observed Haruna curiously. "In any case, I expect great things from you, Haruna. You have a reputation to live up to."

At that moment, all Haruna wanted to do was hide under her desk and pretend she didn't exist. Nahoko could tell how troubled she was, with some students still whispering about her behind and in front of them. The best Nahoko could manage was pat Haruna comfortingly on the back while Kuzaki Sensei continued roll call. Once that was done, it was time for the day to officially begin.

"Alright, class. Let's start with out first lesson: the basics of shinobi fighting!"

* * *

"It wasn't all that bad, Haru-chan!" Nahoko said as the two walked out of the academy, the school day finally ending. With every other student eager to go home, no one bothered to pay Haruna any mind. There were still a few students that looked at her oddly, though. Some still whispered and looked over their shoulders as they ran to their parents.

Haruna whined and pouted at Nahoko, "Why couldn't I just have a plain, boring family like everyone else? I don't wanna be compared to my dad or brother all the time! I was afraid that would happen…"

"Don't sweat it, Haru-chan! Who knows! Maybe you can use that to get special privileges with Kuzaki Sensei?" Nahoko offered with a cheeky grin, hoping it would help make light of the situation and make her friend feel better. It didn't, as Haruna's frown deepened.

"That's the last thing I want to happen! What if that makes people hate me more?"

"People don't hate you, Haru-chan! You're being silly," Nahoko offered with an easy smile. Haruna huffed, and countered that it would make some students feel jealous. That was a point Nahoko couldn't argue against. The rest of their walk from the academy consisted of recounting their lessons and plans to train together once they began learning new techniques.

"Do you think your dad will be able to join us, Haru-chan?" Nahoko asked as they neared the latter's house. The lights were on, which surprised Haruna greatly, since her father was supposed to be away on a mission. Her mother said she would be working late at the hospital tonight, too. Maybe Goro was home, then? Or was it Gramma Setsuko babysitting her for the night?

"I dunno, he's usually pretty busy doing missions for the Tsuchikage, but I can ask when he gets home!" Haruna offered, to which Nahoko smiled cheekily and gave Haruna a thumb's up. "Do you wanna stay for dinner, Koko-chan?"

"Nah, I gotta get home. My mom's still recovering from her last injury, and I wanna make sure she's okay." Haruna nodded, saying she understood. After wishing her best friend a goodnight, she rushed to the front door, and swung it open. The smell of spiced curry and vegetables wafted down the hall from the kitchen. Haruna's mouth instantly watered.

"I'm home!" Haruna called as she took of her sandals and threw her backpack near the foot of the stairs. Her father, Takeshi, poked his head out from the kitchen and beamed at his youngest child. Haruna looked just as excited as she bounded down the hall, and leapt into her father's arms.

"Hello, my little Haru!" her father bellowed, and gave Haruna a bear-squeeze for a hug. Haruna giggled madly and wrapped her tiny arms around her father's neck.

"Your beard tickles, Papa!"

"Does it? I could've sworn I shaved it early," Takeshi teased and rubbed his beard against Haruna's cheek with more vigor, making the little girl shriek. Haruna's mother, Kasumi, a short woman that looked like an older version of Haruna, leaned back and poked her out from the kitchen. She smiled warmly at the sight of her husband and daughter so happy and excited to see each other again.

"When did you get home, Papa?"

"Oh, a few hours ago, Haru," Takeshi explained while lowering Haruna to the ground. He took her small hand in his, and led the way through kitchen. "I stopped at the hospital, saw your mom and convinced the staff to let her leave early. I was just helping your mother make dinner now." Haruna looked at her father skeptically and turned to her mother, who was now starting to serve food.

"It's not poisonous, right?" she asked candidly. Kasumi had to stop what she was doing, she was laughing so hard. Takeshi scoffed and placed a hand dramatically on his chest, pretending to look hurt at Haruna.

"You wound me, Haru! I would never cook something to poison our family! Besides," he leaned down and whispered in Haruna's ear, "your mother made sure I just stuck to steaming the vegetables."

Haruna covered her mouth to stifle her giggles, "Okay, Papa. I trust you!" Beaming at her father one more time, she reached for a plate on the counter so she could help set the table. Her parents followed suit and took their seats at the table. Haruna, still being on the short side, had to sit on her knees in the chair so she could see above the table.

After everyone gave thanks for the meal, Kasumi looked to Haruna, who was already shoveling food in her mouth as if it were her last meal. Kasumi had a half a mind to remind Haruna about proper table manners, and that eating like some wild animal that had been starving for weeks was not polite. Yet no matter what, Haruna seemed to inhale her food whenever she ate. Takeshi was the same way; he was almost halfway done with his plate.

"So, sweetheart, how was your first day at the academy?" Kasumi asked, taking _her_ time to properly enjoy her meal. Haruna paused mid-chew, her cheeks puffed out and stuffed with food; bits of rice clung to her mouth.

"Mmmm…" Haruna hummed before swallowing her food. "It was… okay," she said in a small voice. Takeshi, ever the perceptive man, nudged his plate to the side and noticed how Haruna seemed to clam up a little.

"Did something happen, sweetheart?" he asked. Haruna wiped her mouth clean and twiddled her thumbs under the table.

"I don't think my classmates like me very much…" Haruna answered, her voice still soft. "Kuzaki Sensei said that he expects me to be the top student in class since my last name is Matsuno…" Takeshi sighed at hearing Haruna's answer, and he and Kasumi shared a look before he placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Oh, sweetheart. You shouldn't feel pressured to be anything," Takeshi said. "I know you're an incredibly smart girl, but you'll find your own way in the academy. The only person you need to prove your worth to is yourself."

Haruna was incredibly thankful for her father's kind words, but had a sneaking feeling that things wouldn't be as simple as he said. Still, she smiled appreciatively at her father and smacked the table with her hands when she remembered Nahoko's request. Kasumi flinched a little, not expecting the ceramic plates to clink the way they did.

"Oh, Papa I just remembered! Koko-chan was wondering if you could help us with training once we start learning new techniques? Pretty please?" Haruna, for added measure, pouted her lips and widened her eyes. Takeshi didn't need her puppy dog look to be convinced, though. He would happily train his daughter and Nahoko. But with his hectic schedule, it would be difficult to coordinate the time to do that.

"I would love to, sweetheart," Takeshi replied. "I'll make the time whenever I can, okay?" Scrambling down from her chair, Haruna climbed onto her father's lap, and gave him a tight squeeze. Takeshi coughed, surprised at how naturally strong his little girl was. Still, he couldn't help the smile on his face as Haruna thanked him again and again.

* * *

Nahoko frowned at her friend's appearance. Haruna was currently nursing a black eye, and pressed her water bottle near the pulsing, bruised flesh, hoping the coolness would alleviate some of the ache.

"You shouldn't let Tamaki and his dumb friends get to you, Haru-chan," Nahoko sighed, replacing Haruna's water bottle with a cold, wet cloth. Haruna moaned slightly at the change in temperature, but was thankful Nahoko was helping her.

"I know, but it's hard not to," Haruna sighed, holding the cloth close to her eye. "That Tamaki is an idiot and needs to learn how to shut up."

"I agree with you there, but it seems like fighting him will just make things worse," Nahoko replied. Haruna only hummed in response and mulled over Nahoko's words. While the school day had ended about an hour ago, but the two lingered at a park near the campus.

Haruna had gotten into a fight with the class bully, Tamaki, on their way home about her being a so-called "teacher's pet know-it-all." Haruna responded that it wasn't her fault Tamaki was an idiot who couldn't stay awake in class. Tamaki and his goons proceeded to try and beat up Haruna, but Nahoko intervened and helped Haruna fend off the bullies.

Needless to say, Tamaki and company came out worse than the two girls did. Nahoko had a few bruises herself, but hers would be easier to hide. Haruna's black eye would cause her mother to freak out and fret over her. She was already dreading on going home because of how her family would react.

"Well, maybe if Tamaki would leave me alone, I wouldn't have to beat him up in the first place," Haruna pouted. Nahoko huffed frustratedly, and smacked her palm to her forehead. To be fair, Nahoko should've expected an answer like that from her best friend, but Haruna's stubbornness still drove her up the wall.

"Haru, there you are!" Goro, Haruna's older brother, called. Both girl's perked their head's up and watched Goro lightly jog towards the swings.

"Uh-oh…" Haruna groaned. Nahoko noticed how her friend's face paled a little.

"Mom's worried sick about you! Why haven't… what happened to your eye?" Goro asked once he got close enough to see Haruna's condition. Both girls, he noticed, looked more than a little thrashed. Their clothes and hair were dirty, and Haruna's hair in particular was peppered with leaves and twigs.

"I… uhh… walked into a wall?" Haruna offered feebly. She always had trouble lying to her brother. Considering he was a master with genjutsu, Goro could spot any sort of lie easily. He gave Haruna a warning look, and folded his arms across his chest.

"Haru… what really happened?" Goro asked. Clearly she got into some sort of fight, but he wanted to know specifics. Haruna looked torn between telling her brother that she was being bullied, or coming up with a more convincing lie. Seeing her friend's troubled look, Nahoko intervened.

"She got into a fight," she said quickly.

"I can see that much," Goro replied, and kneeled in front of his baby sister. His expression softened, "But who did you get into a fight with?" Haruna looked at her brother for a few seconds before feebly answering.

"Just this idiot, Ando Tamaki. He makes fun of my name, calls me 'Veggie', and because I actually participate in class, he thinks I'm a teacher's pet. He's stupid, and has been held back twice! It's not my fault he can't create a proper shadow clone!"

Goro gave his sister a half smile, feeling a small sense of pride at how his little sister was sticking up for herself. Still, Goro sighed once more, and slowly removed the cloth from Haruna's sore eye. She winced a little when he lightly touched the bruised skin.

"Did he do that to you?" Haruna nodded, and Goro felt his protective, big brother instincts kick in. He wanted his little sister to continue standing up for herself, as that was fundamental for being a shinobi. But it seemed like she would need a few pointers first. "Want me to teach you how to properly handle yourself in a fight?"

Haruna and Nahoko gasped at Goro's offer, and Haruna didn't a moment to think twice to accept her brother's offer.

"We can start tomorrow, okay? And I won't tell mom you got in a fight because she'll freak out," Goro smiled at Haruna, though the latter looked ready to weep with happiness. All Haruna could do was manage a nod. Goro turned to Nahoko, who was starting to gather her things. "Would you like to join us?"

"If it's no bother, yeah!" Nahoko replied with a wide smile. Goro nodded and held out a hand to help Haruna stand up. Haruna smiled sheepishly at her brother and placed the cloth back on her eye.

"I'm, uh, actually really sore. Could you… carry me home, please, Goro?" Haruna chuckled. Goro sighed whilst shaking his head, and turned around so Haruna could ride on his back.

"You're lucky I love you, baby sister."

* * *

 **One year later**

Haruna, true enough, proved to be one of the smartest students in her class. When it came to the three basic shinobi fighting techniques, Haruna easily excelled in taijutsu and ninjutsu, thanks to her father and brother's help in training. While she was adequate at genjutsu and could detect when it was in use, Haruna felt a slight indifference towards that particular field.

This balanced out with Nahoko, who showed a certain prowess with genjutsu and weapon techniques. The two would train together often, and compete to see who would to better in class. Teachers loved Haruna because she was an excellent student, and her fellow classmates continued to target her.

Everyone in the class, save for the teachers, had adopted the habit of calling her "Veggie," or "Steamed Veggies" whenever she got mad, no thanks to Tamaki and his buffoons. It should be noted that this happened fairly often, and Haruna would proceed to punch her bullies in the face. Repeatedly. This lead to _many_ parent-teacher conferences. Like today, for instance.

"Hello again, Kasumi-san," Kuzaki Sensei sighed, and opened the door wider for Haruna's mother to enter the conference room. Haruna was on the other side of the room, sitting on her hands and swinging her legs idly as she looked down at her lap.

"Did she get into another fight?" Kasumi sighed, seeing her daughter with a nasty bruise on her cheek. Kuzaki Sensei nodded when he closed to door.

"Yes, but there's something else I wanted to ask you about," Kuzaki Sensei replied. Kasumi sat down next to Haruna and reached out to touch her cheek. Hissing from the soft touch of her mother's hand, Haruna and flinched and turned away.

Kasumi eventually found out all the fights Haruna got into, despite Haruna and Goro trying to hide it from her. The only reason Kasumi found out was because one concerned parent cornered at the hospital she worked at. Needless to say, Kasumi unleashed verbal hell on her children. When she confronted her husband if he knew about Haruna's schoolyard fights, Takeshi declined such knowledge, but gave his daughter a thumb's up that made Kasumi even more furious.

Kuzaki Sensei pulled out Haruna's progress report for Kasumi to look at, "As you can see, your daughter is one of the, if not _the_ , top student in my class. I feel like I have nothing else to teach her, and I wanted to get your opinion of her graduating early."

"Graduate early?" Kasumi repeated, looking wide-eyed at Kuzaki Sensei. Even Haruna seemed surprised at that, and looked at Kuzaki Sensei with the same bewildered expression. The latter nodded, and continued on.

"Indeed. Despite your daughter's troubling behavior outside of school, she has proven to be incredibly skilled in nearly all areas. She's bright, and has an excellent future as a kunoichi. I think she could easily pass the graduation exam. Though, this doesn't really surprise me, considering her brother was also a genius. Not to mention your husband, and his honorable reputation."

Kasumi looked at Haruna, who's startled expression since turned into a scowl at being compared to her father and brother. Again. That was another thing Haruna also couldn't shake off - being constantly compared to her family and their skills. Kasumi knew how much it bothered Haruna to not be considered her own person outside her family name.

"Is… that something you want to do, sweetheart?" Kasumi asked, gently placing her hand on Haruna's shoulders. The girl's scowl deepened and after a couple seconds of silence, she shook her head no.

Kuzaki Sensei balked at her, "W-why not? Haruna, you would be beating your brother's - !"

"Because I am not my brother!" Haruna nearly shouted. All her frustration of the day was starting to get to her, and Haruna could feel that she could no longer hold it all back. "Just because I pass all the tests, and can perform all the techniques you taught me, doesn't mean that I'm really ready for real shinobi work…" Haruna paused, and moved her hands into her lap. "There's still so much for me to learn, right? I don't feel like I'm ready, Kuzaki Sensei. I wanna… I wanna wait another year, if that's okay."

Both Kasumi and Kuzaki's faces softened. The former was secretly glad Haruna wanted to wait; she wasn't ready to see her baby girl go out on dangerous missions, and come back with more scrapes and bruises, regardless of ninja rank. Kuzaki Sensei, on the other hand, felt disappointed that his top student didn't want to apply for early graduation. Yet, he could understand her reasons why, and silently nodded his head.

"If that's what you want, Haruna, then I cannot force you to take the graduation exam. However, I will transfer you to another class. I know Tamaki and his group of friends have been giving you trouble over the year, so I hope this will help."

Kasumi smiled gratefully and Haruna smiled appreciatively at her teacher, "Thank you very much, Sensei." Taking her mother's hand, Kasumi thanked Kuzaki Sensei and walked out of the office with Haruna.

The walk home was rather quiet, but neither mother or daughter seemed to mind. But Kasumi was curious about one thing, "Why don't you feel ready, sweetheart? To take the graduation exam?"

"I dunno. I just feel like I can learn more," Haruna shrugged. But felt confident in proving herself apart from her father and brother, "I know Goro graduated within a year, but I wanna be different. I'm gonna be my own shinobi, Mama!" Haruna beamed at her mother, and Kasumi couldn't stop the smile at seeing her daughter's toothy grin, even if one of her front teeth were missing.

"I know you will, baby," Kasumi pulled in her daughter for a tight, but quick side hug, "and I will be cheering you on every step of the way."

* * *

 **Six months later**

Haruna sat on a stump a few meters away from the tree line of the massive training field, watching her father and brother train together with a certain fascination. Her father, a master swordsman, moved with a such deadly precision that it looked more beautiful than dangerous to Haruna. Takeshi was moving so fast, Haruna could barely keep up. Even Goro was having trouble keeping up with their father.

Takeshi went for an uppercut, but Goro reacted quickly and leaned far back enough to avoid being hit. He nearly lost his balance, but Goro caught himself on his hands and his body leveled out in a plank position.

"Good, Goro. You're getting better at anticipating the enemy's movements," Takeshi said when the two stepped back to take a break from their sparring match. Goro, despite being out of breath, beamed at receiving such praise when he stood at full height. "However, you need to do better at blocking your left side. You still leave it open for a hit."

Goro's smile fell a little, and he nodded, "I know, and I can't figure out why I still leave myself open there."

"It could have something to do with your vision," Takeshi offered, sheathing his sword. "Have your mother take you to the hospital tomorrow to get your eyes checked." Goro nodded and pulled the hem of his shirt towards his face to wipe the sweat off his face despite the cold November air.

Takeshi, turning to Haruna, grabbed his cloak and started walking towards her, "You ready to go home, sweetheart?" Nodding, Haruna leapt off the stump she sat on and practically skipped to her father and brother.

"Papa, I was wondering about something," she said, taking her father's hand in one, and her brother's in the other.

"Oh? What about?" Takeshi asked.

"Well… I was wondering… could you teach me how to sword fight?" Haruna looked up at him with wide, curious eyes. Goro looked surprised at his sister for asking for such a thing. Takeshi looked just as taken aback, and even uncomfortable. He didn't like the image of Haruna holding a sword.

"Why do you want to learn kenjutsu, sweetheart?" Takeshi asked slowly.

"Watching you fight like that, Papa, you look incredible!" Haruna jumped at the last syllable, "and I wanna learn everything I can about being the best kunoichi I can be. I wanna be strong like you, Papa!"

Oh, if that didn't melt Takeshi's heart at hearing that… and seeing that eager look on her small face, how could Takeshi possibly say no? As much as he wanted Haruna to say away from such weapons, at least till she graduated from the academy, Takeshi found his resolve to say 'no' practically non-existent.

"Oh… okay, sweetheart. I'll teach you some of the basics, okay?" Haruna's eyes and face lit up and she gave such an excited shout that a few bird squawked at the noise. Letting go of her father and brother's hands, Haruna bounded off towards their house, too engrossed in her own happiness to notice the wary looks Takeshi and Goro gave one another.

"You sure that's a good idea, Dad?" Goro asked, watching Haruna sprint down the stone paved roads of the village. Takeshi slowly shook his head, but he knew he would teach Haruna kenjutsu eventually.

"No, but our family has many enemies. It will be good for her to learn as many fighting methods as possible. And..." Goro turned to his father, waiting patiently for what he would say next. "Never mind, I'll tell you later." With that, Takeshi lightly jogged ahead to catch up with Haruna, while Goro continued to lag behind, wondering what his father was going to say."

* * *

Haruna stood in the backyard with her dad and Nahoko, channeling her chakra into the special paper he handed to her. Haruna and her father were taking a break from her kenjutsu training to study ninjutsu nature releases. And, as a man of his word, invited Nahoko over with her mother's permission. For part of this training, Takeshi wanted to see what nature his daughter and Nahoko were affiliated with. When Haruna finally felt a reaction, she unclasped her hands, and saw how soggy the paper had become.

Takeshi leaned forward and inspected the piece of paper. "Water nature? Interesting! My mom has the same nature as you, Haru!" he smiled.

"Ooooh! Really? Could Gramma teach me new water techniques?" Haruna asked, becoming very excited at the prospect of learning from her grandmother, too. Takeshi nodded, saying that his mother would be more than happy to teach her something new. Haruna gave her father a toothy grin, and turned to see if Nahoko's paper had done anything. Nahoko's brow was furrowed in concentration, and her tongue was sticking out.

"What's your nature, Koko-chan?" Haruna asked excitedly. Nahoko slowly opened her hands, and 'oooh'd at seeing the piece of paper split in half. "Isn't this wind nature, Papa?"

"Yes, it is! You have a rare chakra nature, Nahoko, just like me!" Takeshi ruffled Nahoko's mop of orange hair as the latter marveled at sharing the same chakra nature as the famous Bloodless Shadow of Iwagakure.

"So… does this mean you'll teach me some wind release techniques, Takeshi-san?" Nahoko asked, hoping he would say yes.

"If it's okay with your mother, then I have no issue with it," Takeshi smiled. Nahoko jumped for joy, tossing the chakra infused paper in the air. Both Haruna and Takeshi laughed, though Haruna was mostly excited about seeing her friend more often since they weren't in the same class anymore.

"When can we start? When can we start?" Nahoko quickly asked, still jumping up and down excitedly. Takeshi bent from the waist, and rested his hands on his knees.

"Tell you what," he started with a small smile, "I have a very important mission coming up, and I'll be gone for the next few weeks. When I come back, I'll teach you everything I know then. Deal?" Nahoko nodded in agreement, but Haruna frowned at her father. It seemed like he was leaving for longer missions nowadays.

"I didn't know you were leaving for a mission, Papa," she mumbled. "Can't they get someone else to go?" Takeshi pulled his daughter close, and held her hands in his.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but the Tsuchikage, and the village, need me. But I'll be home before you know it. If things go well, I may get to come home early! So keep me in your thoughts, and wish for me to come home safely. I'll be back before you can even begin to miss me."

Haruna smiled sadly at her father, but nodded, "I will, Papa." Takeshi smiled warmly and pulled his daughter into a tight hug. When they pulled away, and Takeshi stood at his full height, he clapped his hands together, and smiled at his two trainees.

"Alright girls, let's get you two in shape for your graduation!"

* * *

 **A/N:** And that's it for this part! Haruna is such a daddy's girl, it's adorable, haha.  
I really tried to keep this part of the story concise, but I don't think I'll be able to. There's so much I want you all to know about Haruna and her past, so that it makes it difficult! Also, I made a tumblr! There I'll be posting more informational tidbits of the story, as well as taking requests like other Naruto imagines blogs. Be sure to check it out: .com

I hope you enjoyed the antics of 5 year-old Haruna! Please review (there's like almost 100 subscribed to this story, so I know you're there lol)!


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